BILLY BRIDGES IS IN KOREA COMPETING IN PARALYMPICS
Bridges has faced and overcome many challenges on his way to Team Canada
Billy Bridges turned to the sport of sledge hockey when he needed it the most.
Now, through strong family support and hard work, the Team Canada forward has evolved into one of the world’s top players.
“Sledge hockey has been there through basically all the stages of my life,” said Bridges, who was born in Summerside and lives with the effects of Spina Bifida. “I was lucky enough to find it when I was in a dark place in my life - a disabled child who didn’t know what was out there for me, and where I fit in.” Bridges admitted he was “getting into a lot of fights at school,” and it was “a really tough time” at a young age. “I was lucky enough to find the sport, and it really saved me from a lot of things,” said Bridges, who began playing the sport at age 12. “Now, all of a sudden, I’m signing autographs for kids in a rink that I could only dream of playing at as a kid.”
Played with father
Bridges now has a goal of competing in his fifth Paralympic Games in 2018. Through all the ups and downs, one of Bridges’s biggest supporters has been his father, Charles Bridges.
“When I first started playing he played with me and my younger brother (Danny),” recalled Bridges, before hitting the ice at Eastlink Arena for a ‘try sledge hockey’ event. “Both are able-bodied, but it didn’t matter - we were all on a level playing field - and I got to compete against my dad.
“Now, as a father, I am starting to understand how special that probably was for him.”
Bridges admits the sport has come a long way over the years, especially the equipment. “My dad would take a 2x4 and cut out a blade pattern, and I would sit using the belt sander making my own curve,” offered Bridges. “Really, the sticks were almost an inch thick. . .
“My first sled was about 50 pounds, steel with metal runners underneath. Now the sleds are about 8 ½ pounds.”
Bridges glided effortlessly around Eastlink Arena’s ice surface, and spectators were glued to him awaiting his quick release and hard shot.
“I used to shoot hundreds and hundreds of pucks, ripping holes through the garage,” recalled Bridges. “Then my dad finally put a net in there.
“All the hours of doing that as a kid, because it was just fun, has really helped my shooting ability.”
Bridges also credited two teammates - Adam Dixon and his best friend, Brad Bowden - for setting him up for a lot of scoring opportunities. “Having those two guys on my team makes it so easy that if you get to the right spot you can put the puck in the net,” said Bridges.