Latest news with #adaptiveSports
CBC
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
Para boxing helped this N.B. man regain his confidence, now he wants that for others
Social Sharing Andrew Lawlor has spent the past eight months getting ready for his first-ever boxing match. But he isn't like most boxing newcomers. He's 57 years old and has one leg. "When you go from being reasonably able-bodied and you get hurt and a lot of your abilities are taken away, you lose a lot of confidence in your own physicality, your own ability to do things," he said. Lawlor had his left leg amputated above the knee after a car accident in 2018. As a result of the same accident, he also has partial use of one eye, and one arm that "doesn't really work." "But I'm not going to tell you which one because I've got to fight in a week," he joked. WATCH | 'The world's going to tell you that we're lesser physically, and we're not' In this corner, a Fredericton Para boxer aiming to get the sport recognized 2 hours ago Duration 3:04 Andrew Lawlor is ready to get in the ring, but there are few other Para boxers he can compete against. He's fighting an athlete who is not disabled instead. Although he wouldn't have called himself an athlete before the accident, he was a longtime rugby player, so he soon began playing wheelchair rugby. That's where he met a man who would become his mentor: New Brunswick Paralympian Hal Merrill. "He told me something and I will never forget it. He just said, 'It's gonna be OK' and he rolled away," Lawlor said. "And I didn't know what he meant at the time, but I know now. And he's right. It is OK." Merrill passed away in March, but he's still an inspiration to Lawlor. "He helped me believe in myself," he said. Lawlor's wife Lesley has also been a support every step of the way. She said she wasn't surprised when he took up Para boxing. "You can never tell Andrew no for anything," she said. "He just continues to get stronger and stronger and stronger, and he's unstoppable." Getting into the ring As Lawlor began to regain his physical strength, he started taking boxing classes for the cardio workout. He met Dave LeBlanc and Rennie Bradford at Fight 4 Fit 'n Health Fitness Centre in Minto. "I fell in love with the sport, and Dave and Rennie showed some faith in me and my ability to maybe get in the ring," said Lawlor. From there, they started looking for someone who Lawlor could fight against. But there aren't many other Para boxers in the region. So Lawlor's first match, on Saturday, will be against a non-disabled boxer who will use a wheelchair for the fight. "He's half my age. Twice as big. He's got a ton of experience which I don't have, so I've kind of got him right where I want him," Lawlor said with a laugh. LeBlanc said there have been some challenges in training Lawlor, because when a wheelchair boxing match happens, the two chairs are locked together in the centre of the ring. "This is like us going into a whole new realm of boxing that we've never dealt with," LeBlanc explained. "I've always been able to throw a punch, move to the side, roll back, do a couple slips. You can do the slips, but you can't roll back, not when you're tethered together." Now, only days away from the fight, Lawlor is as excited as he is nervous. But the outcome isn't what's important. "I've already won," said Lawlor. Expanding the sport The match is not going to count toward any official standings, because Para boxing isn't an officially recognized sport in New Brunswick. And that's part of the reason why Lawlor isn't fighting another Para boxer. "Because it hasn't been promoted or supported here in New Brunswick, there haven't been many developed," Lawlor said. He and his coaching team are working with Parasport New Brunswick to try to get the sport officially recognized. "We should have the opportunity to play any sport we want, or pick up a guitar or a bass or go sing on stage or act in a play." said LeBlanc. "There shouldn't be any barriers to this life and we're working together to reduce one more." CBC News reached out to Parasport New Brunswick for an interview, but did not receive a response by publication time. There's also a larger push coming from Atlantic Canada to try to get Para boxing recognized by the Paralympics. In Nova Scotia, Aaron Kinch is a Para athlete and coach of two Para boxers. He's hosted several unofficial Para boxing matches. "They're all exhibitions as of right now due to insurance purposes," he said. "No winner, no loser, just like a demonstration." About five years ago, he founded the International Adaptive Boxing Federation, which now has members from 20 countries, including Canada. Kinch said his group hopes to have Para boxing officially recognized in time for the next Paralympics in 2028. "These guys go from not being able to compete in boxing … and then they train, they get in the ring and they have a lot of fun, and that would mean the absolute world to all these guys," he said. Lawlor may not have Olympic aspirations, but he does want to see the sport continue to grow. He's looking to get certified as a coach, so he can be a mentor to others the way Merrill was for him. "I do almost all the things I used to do now, just in a different way, and the toughest one to convince that, was me," he said. "And if I can help someone else shorten that journey, I think this is all worth it."
Malay Mail
04-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Paralympic sport gets spotlight in LA 2028 as city unveils plan for accessible, athlete-friendly Games
LOS ANGELES, June 4 — Events for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games will be held in downtown LA, Exposition Park, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Carson and Arcadia under the venue plan released by Games organizers LA28 on Tuesday. Like the LA Olympics, the Paralympics will seek to take advantage of the city's vast network of existing sports venues when it hosts the event for the first time. Downtown LA will be a major hub of activity with wheelchair fencing, para judo, para taekwondo, boccia and para table tennis all held at the Convention Center. 'By hosting multiple competitions side by side, the events will encourage constant movement, shared fan engagement and a festival-like environment that highlights the diversity of athletic performance,' LA28 said in a release. Wheelchair basketball will be held at Arena, home of the NBA's LA Lakers, with the US men's team looking to capture a fourth consecutive gold medal. Goalball, a sport designed exclusively for people with visual impairments that requires total silence from the crowd, will take place at the nearby Peacock Theater in an acoustically optimised setting. LA Memorial Coliseum will host para athletics and the Paralympics closing ceremony, while the opening ceremony will be held at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers. Galen Center will host para badminton and wheelchair rugby, Carson will stage para archery, wheelchair tennis and para cycling, while Arcadia's Santa Anita Park will be the site of para equestrian. On the west side of the city, Venice Beach will host para triathlon and mark the starting point of the para athletics marathon, while Long Beach will host seven events including para swimming, blind football and para climbing's debut. The most gender-balanced Paralympics yet will award the most medals in its history and feature 4,480 athletes across 23 sports. With every competition taking place within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan seeks to minimize travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village. 'The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport but brings it to the next level,' said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. LA Mayor Karen Bass said the Games would provide an opportunity for LA to improve inclusive accessibility citywide. 'The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever – proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles,' she said. The Paralympics will be held from August 15-27 in 2028. — Reuters
Japan Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Japan Times
LA28 unveils venue plan for largest ever Paralympics
Events for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games will be held in downtown LA, Exposition Park, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Carson and Arcadia under the venue plan released by Games organizers LA28 on Tuesday. Like the LA Olympics, the Paralympics will seek to take advantage of the city's vast network of existing sports venues when it hosts the event for the first time. Downtown LA will be a major hub of activity with wheelchair fencing, para judo, para taekwondo, boccia and para table tennis all held at the Convention Center. "By hosting multiple competitions side by side, the events will encourage constant movement, shared fan engagement and a festival-like environment that highlights the diversity of athletic performance," LA28 said in a release. Wheelchair basketball will be held at Arena, home of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, with the U.S. men's team looking to capture a fourth consecutive gold medal. Goalball, a sport designed exclusively for people with visual impairments that requires total silence from the crowd, will take place at the nearby Peacock Theater in an acoustically optimized setting. LA Memorial Coliseum will host para athletics and the Paralympics closing ceremony, while the opening ceremony will be held at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers. Galen Center will host para badminton and wheelchair rugby, Carson will stage para archery, wheelchair tennis and para cycling, while Arcadia's Santa Anita Park will be the site of para equestrian. On the west side of the city, Venice Beach will host para triathlon and mark the starting point of the para athletics marathon, while Long Beach will host seven events including para swimming, blind football and para climbing's debut. The most gender-balanced Paralympics yet will award the most medals in its history and feature 4,480 athletes across 23 sports. With every competition taking place within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan seeks to minimize travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village. "The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport but brings it to the next level," said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. LA Mayor Karen Bass said the Games would provide an opportunity for LA to improve inclusive accessibility citywide. "The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever — proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles," she said. The Paralympics will be held from August 15-27 in 2028.
Associated Press
04-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Los Angeles unveils compact, athlete-friendly venue plan for 2028 Paralympics
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Every venue for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles will be within a 35-mile radius, and athletes will be housed together, on the UCLA campus, for the first time since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. LA28 announced an updated venue plan Tuesday following approval from the International Paralympic Committee's governing board. The Paralympics will run Aug. 15-27, 2028, about two weeks after the the Los Angeles Olympics end. The majority of sports will be held in Los Angeles, with the downtown and Exposition Park sites serving as the main competition hubs. The Los Angeles Convention Center will host boccia, para judo, para table tennis, para taekwondo and wheelchair fencing. Adjacent to the Convention Center, Arena will host wheelchair basketball. Across the street, Peacock Theater will host goalball in an acoustically optimized setting. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host para track and field, as well as the closing ceremony. The nearby Galen Center will host wheelchair rugby and para badminton. Venice Beach on the city's westside will be the site of para triathlon and the starting point of the marathon. The Dignity Health Sports Park complex in Carson will host para archery, wheelchair tennis and para track cycling in the velodrome. Climbing will make its Paralympic debut in 2028, with four men's and four women's events in the parking lot of the Long Beach Convention Center. Para swimming will be on the same site in a temporary pool. Sport shooting will be inside the convention center at a temporary range. Long Beach Arena will host sitting volleyball. A temporary arena at Alamitos Beach along the Pacific Ocean will be the site of blind football. Para rowing and para canoe-sprint events will be held at Marine Stadium. Para equestrian events will take place at Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia. ___ AP Olympics:
CNA
03-06-2025
- General
- CNA
LA28 unveils venue plan for largest ever Paralympics
LOS ANGELES :Events for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games will be held in downtown LA, Exposition Park, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Carson and Arcadia under the venue plan released by Games organizers LA28 on Tuesday. Like the LA Olympics, the Paralympics will seek to take advantage of the city's vast network of existing sports venues when it hosts the event for the first time. Downtown LA will be a major hub of activity with wheelchair fencing, para judo, para taekwondo, boccia and para table tennis all held at the Convention Center. "By hosting multiple competitions side by side, the events will encourage constant movement, shared fan engagement and a festival-like environment that highlights the diversity of athletic performance," LA28 said in a release. Wheelchair basketball will be held at Arena, home of the NBA's LA Lakers, with the U.S. men's team looking to capture a fourth consecutive gold medal. Goalball, a sport designed exclusively for people with visual impairments that requires total silence from the crowd, will take place at the nearby Peacock Theater in an acoustically optimised setting. LA Memorial Coliseum will host para athletics and the Paralympics closing ceremony, while the opening ceremony will be held at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers. Galen Center will host para badminton and wheelchair rugby, Carson will stage para archery, wheelchair tennis and para cycling, while Arcadia's Santa Anita Park will be the site of para equestrian. On the west side of the city, Venice Beach will host para triathlon and mark the starting point of the para athletics marathon, while Long Beach will host seven events including para swimming, blind football and para climbing's debut. The most gender-balanced Paralympics yet will award the most medals in its history and feature 4,480 athletes across 23 sports. With every competition taking place within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan seeks to minimize travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village. "The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport but brings it to the next level," said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. LA Mayor Karen Bass said the Games would provide an opportunity for LA to improve inclusive accessibility citywide. "The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever – proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles," she said. The Paralympics will be held from August 15-27 in 2028.
