Oh, Canada!

August 14, 2015

I cannot express to you guys how much this trip has meant to me. Without a doubt, the best experience I've ever had.

We have done so much in these past ten days, I am ready to be back in my bed with my feet up watching some Netflix. Along with doing so much, I think that I have walked more here than all of the spring semester (joking, but really though). We've gone to a Blue Jays game, Niagara Falls, Kensington Market, Ontario Science Center, and little things in between, and we still have the CN Tower to visit tomorrow and a dinner cruise on a yacht. 

I have absolutely loved my job. Athlete Services Crew (aka Super Pit Crew) was in charge of moving the athletes equipment to practice courts and competition courts. This position allowed us to interact a lot with these athletes (and get tons of pins for our lanyards). Shout out to all of the Super Pit Crew supervisors: Ryan, Sarah, Katrina, and Christina! Gonna miss all of you guys and thank you so much for making this an awesome experience for all of us.

Tonight was definitely a very exciting night! On my last day off, I was able to watch the United States women win the gold medal in wheelchair basketball. That was a truly amazing experience. Plus, we were on the big screen and on TV. Tomorrow is another big day because it's the gold medal match in wheelchair basketball for the men; Canada vs. U.S.A.

An interesting sport that is associated with the Parapan Am Games is wheelchair tennis. Wheelchair tennis was first introduced to the games in 1988. This sport is only open to athletes with permanent loss of function in one or both legs and the main difference between in the rules of able-bodied tennis is that they are allowed two bounces instead of one.  

--Garrett Nugent

The College of Education delegation to the Toronto 2015 ParaPan Am Games pose with members of the U.S. wheelchair women's basketball team that won the gold medal.  Proud of both!