Accessible Sport Expo: September 19, 2022
Sports and fitness activities are so important - for both children and adults. The need for accessible sports and activities has become an ever-growing need. In order to address this, George Jeffrey Children's Centre and Foundation have partnered with PRO Kids and the City of Thunder Bay to host an Accessible Sports Expo to promote accessible activities and equipment in our community.
Join us, for this FREE event on Monday, September 19, 2022 at the Victoria Inn Embassy Ballroom. Doors open at 6:00pm, and the event will begin at 6:30pm. 
Pre-registration is preferred, RSVP on Eventbrite using our QR code!
The Accessible Sport Expo is intended to raise awareness and promote the accessible activities and equipment available in our community.
Keynote Speaker: Jeff Adams
The Expo will also complement an amazing guest speaker, a motivational speaker named Jeff Adams. As a five-time Paralympian and six-time World Champion in wheelchair sports, Jeff is living proof that focus, determination, and spirit are the keys to achieving “gold medal” dreams. Combining his unique understanding of life’s challenges with his experience as a world-class athlete, Jeff synthesises his experience in sport, government, and business into messages that show how the path to success is often the same, regardless of the goal that is being pursued.
Jeff started using a wheelchair at nine years old; the radiation therapy that saved his life while battling cancer in infancy had, by nine, permanently damaged his spinal cord. Since then, he has faced this monumental challenge admirably, competing in six consecutive Summer Paralympics, from 1988 to 2008, and winning a total of three gold, four silver, and six bronze medals.
Jeff has appeared in television commercials, acted as a global spokesperson for multinational corporations, and worked as a journalist and commentator for media. He served as Chair of the Accessibility Committee for the Toronto 2008 Olympic Bid Committee, and is Chair of the Ontarians with Disability Advisory Council. He is a recent inductee into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame.
A rare breed of an athlete, Jeff successfully transitioned from sport to business. He founded two companies, Marvel Wheelchairs, and Icon Wheelchairs, Marvel underwent an acquisition in 2010, and Icon was acquired in 2015.
Accessible Activity Providers
| Goal Ball |
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Goal Ball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment.
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| Challenger Baseball |
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Challenger Baseball is an adaptive baseball league for anyone with a physical disability, an intellectual disability, a cognitive delay, or a developmental disability. Challenger Baseball creates a support network and community of peers and adults to support, encourage, and challenge athletes to step out of their comfort zone. |
| Para Nordic at Kamview Nordic Trails |
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Para Nordic is an umbrella term that covers multiple impairments. Athletes with impaired muscle power, limb deficiency, leg length difference, hypertonia, ataxia, impaired passive range of movement, vision impairment and athetosis can all participate in Para Nordic. Many athletes with a disability affecting their lower limbs or gait choose to participate in Para Nordic using a sit ski.
Sit-skiing is an accessibility option offered by the Kamview Nordic Trails. |
| Wheelchair Curling |
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Wheelchair curling is an adaptation of curling for athletes with a disability affecting their lower limbs or gait.
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| Sledge Hockey |
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Sledge Hockey, also known as Para ice hockey, is an adaptation of ice hockey designed for players who have a lower-body impairment. Sledge hockey is played under similar rules to standard ice hockey, players are seated on sleds and use special hockey sticks with metal "teeth" on the tips of their handles to navigate the ice. Playing venues use an ice hockey rink. |
| Therapeutic Riding Association |
| The Therapeutic Riding Association provides physical therapy on horseback to people with special needs in the Thunder Bay area. |
| Dynamite Cheer Dreamers |
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The Dynamite Cheer Dreamers is the first and only special needs cheerleading team in Thunder Bay! This team is for girls and boys of all ages. The Dreamers can be seen performing in all local competitions! |
| Special Olympics- Thunder Bay |
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The Special Olympics Canada Games began in 1974 and are national multi-sport Games for athletes with an intellectual disability. At this time there are 18 Special Olympic Sports: Winter
Spring
Summer
The Special Olympics Canada Games serve more than 41,000 children, participating in programs run with the support of local sport clubs across 12 provincial and territorial Chapters. |
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