In Toronto and Ready to Go

August 4, 2015

During participation in this International Learning trip to Toronto, we are learning much about the events surrounding the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games. While a few sports maintain typical rules and regulations for play, others adapt to the individuals competing in them. The sport of athletics, for example, allows many adaptations to be made in order to accommodate its athletes. 

Athletics is one of the largest sports of the Parapan Am Games consisting of track, jumping events, throwing events and combined events. Athletes participating compete in various ways such as in wheelchairs, with prostheses, and assistance by a sighted person who acts as a guide.

Wheelchair racing, one of the more popular events, debuted in 1964 at the Tokyo games where athletes competed for 60-meters. Over a decade later the standard 60m changed to 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1,500m events at the Toronto 1976 Paralympic Games. It was during this year that individuals with visual impairments and amputees were included. This should be another exciting year for the sport.

We have landed in Toronto!! The countdown to this moment has taken months and now we are actually finally here. The airport arrival time was 5am, which brought an early start to our day of travel. Navigating the public transportation system was a new experience for some that ended in some interesting situations.  The night ended with a Blue Jays Game under the Rogers Centre dome. We enjoyed an American pastime in The Six and even bumped into the United States Wheelchair Rugby team. Our time in Toronto will definitely be full of fun and memories!

--Michaela Clay

Ms. Emily Rabalais and Ms. Brittany Mebust

The CEHD team attending the Toronto Blue Jays baseball game against The Minnesota Twins

Our faculty leaders enjoying a baseball game in Toronto