Daniel Morin
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At 18 years of age, this first-year uOttawa criminology student is the youngest member of the Canadian Ice Sledge Hockey Team. The national team recently shutout Norway by 3-0 for the gold medal, on March 19, 2006, at the IX Paralympic Winter Games in Turin.
While he admits that his team “really didn’t know what to expect” before facing their opponents, Dorion had nonetheless predicted that his team would win the gold during a pre-departure interview with the student newspaper La Rotonde!
Wayne Gretzky, general manager of the men’s Team Canada hockey team, was far from jealous of their success and contacted the team just before its final match to pass on his best wishes.
Dorion says that he has memories that he will cherish for the rest of his life, especially the reaction of his parents and grandmother, who were in the stadium to witness the victory. The young right winger, who finished the tournament with two assists, says he wore his jersey and medal for one week after returning home.
Affected with spina bifida since birth, the Franco-Ontarian athlete does not have any feeling in his legs and must rely on a wheelchair. He has played ice sledge hockey since the age of four, and is passionate about the sport because of the fast pace and physical effort that the game requires. He joined the ranks of the Canadian national team three years ago and has since “made many good friends” amongst his teammates.
Since making its official debut at the Lillehammer games in 1994, ice sledge hockey has become the most popular sport at the Paralympic Winter Games. Dorion was pleased to see that the media paid more attention to the Paralympics this year than ever before. “Our goal,” he says, “was always to come out of the shadows.”
What are his plans for the future? Dorion is presently preparing for his final exams and will soon begin summer training camp with the national team in May. Since his past performance does not guarantee him a place on the team, Dorion is vigilant about his fitness and training, which he maintains 365 days a year. Next on the horizon: the world championships in two years time.
