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Niagara multi-sport competitor named Parasport Ontario’s male athlete of the year //
Niagara Falls resident Chris Garner will be named Parasport Ontario’s 2020 Male Athlete of the Year.
Garner is involved in several parasports and recently learned the non-profit organization that provides support to members of the disabled community will recognize him with the honour during a virtual event later this month.
“Parasport Ontario is as much about creating opportunities and creating new pathways for athletes and those that want to just participate, whether they recognize themselves as an athlete or not,” said Jeff Tiessen, executive director for Parasport Ontario.
“Chris represents both. We were fortunate to meet him a year and a half ago at a parasport festival that we had at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, and he was just starting on his parasport journey at that time. Where he’s come in a year and a half, and in these times, is just remarkable. He’s got his sights on being a national team member of the para golf team, (and) his skill set in sledge hockey is taking him to provincial heights.”
Tiessen said Garner has also “really kind of spread his wings and embraced the parasport community in helping others get involved, and creating those opportunities for newcomers and opening their world to what’s available for them in parasport.”
He said Garner will receive the award during Parasport Ontario’s The Power Within virtual event scheduled for Feb. 18, in conjunction with the launch of a tabletop-style book Parasport Ontario has published called “The Power of Parasport.”
Garner lost his leg as a result of complications from having multiple bone tumours removed in July 2018 after several years of chronic pain. Following surgery and being fitted with a custom-made prosthetic leg, Garner said he felt he was given another chance at life.
He started playing sledge hockey and received an invitation to try out for Team Ontario West. Garner made the team and won a silver medal at the provincial championships in February 2020.
“That tournament was full of some former national players on all the teams. It was a really high-level tournament, so that was a lot of fun,” he said.
Garner also plays sitting volleyball, but tryouts with the men’s national team to prepare for international competitions were mostly put off last year due to the pandemic.
He recently took up golf, registering with Paragolf Ontario.
Garner took part in a Para Proam Golf Tournament last year, where a PGA professional played with a group of people, a local celebrity and one para athlete on each team.
“My team won the tournament,” he said. “First (golf) tournament I’ve ever played in my life, and we take home the trophy.”
Garner said the prize for that win was entering a PGA of Canada regional scramble finals.
“It’s an able-bodied tournament, so this has nothing to do with being disabled or a para athlete,” he said. “I was the only amputee competing across Canada, and we ended up finishing I think seventh of eight in the field, which is still amazing. My first year of golfing, and I’m literally playing in a PGA tournament.”
Garner said, in the year ahead, his focus will be on golf. He hopes to compete in the Canadian championships for amputees and people with disabilities, the Ontario championships and “basically take my golf to the elite level.”
Garner said, however, he doesn’t “like saying no to new opportunities” that may come his way.
“A gentleman I spoke to from Australia when I first lost my leg, he said he had the most success just by saying yes to everything. People are going to say, ‘try this’ and say yes, yes, yes, and then pick and choose whatever you enjoy the most or are the best at. It’s just going to open up so many doors and so many opportunities for you.”