I used to play wheechair basketball. Our team was based in the Niagara Region of Ontario, and I played from the early to late 1980′s. I was known as a “walkie”, but I loved the game so much that I preferred it over stand-up ball.

The worst game I was ever part of was when the Toronto Spitfires came to town to play our club team. You can ask your assistant coach, Jerry Tonello, if he remembers this. They beat us, kid you not, a 166-4. Their top scorer, Flo Aukema, must have gotten about 60 points that game.

The best game I ever saw live was when the Canada national team played the Spitfires in the finals of the 1986 Spitfire Challenge. As I recall, it was a close game late, but Peter Colistro started hitting these bombs from outside to put the game away. The Canadian team also had Roy Sherman, Reg McClellan and Clary Stubbert on it.

I hope you keep playing. Once you play it, the love of the game, plus the friendships that are built along the way, never leaves you.

First congratulations on your silver medal!

Hopefully you’ll like to hear from a fan, and working staff from Beijing Paralympics actually. I watched most of your games during the past 12 days and you’re brilliant. And you sure attracted quite a lot attention among the local media. (Trust me, I’m working for MPC & IBC.)

I saw you this afternoon in village near the Super Resident Center and missed the chance to take a photo with you as much as I wanted to because I forgot to bring my camera. Pretty much the reason I decided to write here.

I read through your blog. I’m surprised your awareness of that damn great firewall thing. I actually have to climb over it to post here by lots of tricky work. We curse it everyday too.

When you’ve read this you must have left Beijing. But anyway, hope you enjoyed the time you spent there during the past couple of weeks, and stay brilliant!

Best.

erstmal ‘Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Titel der 2.besten Mannschaft der Welt’!! Das ist doch ‘ne Hausnummer, oder?!
Dann zum Artikel: Mir ging’s ähnlich wie Euch anderen- das ist schon echt ‘ne Frechheit! Ich kann echt nur den Kopf schütteln!

congrats for silver! Ich bin ja froh, fast hätte ich an meinem Verstand gezweifelt, als ich den Artikel las, in dem stand, daß Team Kanada gewonnen hat….nichts für ungut…HERZLICHEN GLÜCKWUNSCH -DU BIST TROTZDEM DER HERO!!!!

That was good for a laugh. Thanks Pat!