April 2017

My name is Shirka Shuriye and I have had the great fortune to champion the Schools Program for Wheelchair Basketball Canada. This program is designed to increase awareness about wheelchair basketball, promote physical activity for youth, and share powerful messages about inclusion in sport and in everyday life.

Moving out from your parents' home is a rite of passage for almost everyone. For some, they can't wait to get out there on their own. Others prefer to stay as long as possible until their parents force them out. For people with severe physical disabilities like me, moving out may seem impossible. For some of those people like me, it can be done!

Adaptive sports play a vital role in the lives of kids who use wheelchairs. I learned this firsthand growing up with spina bifida and being exposed to numerous adaptive sports opportunities. Now I see it in action every day as the Executive Director of ABLE Youth, a youth wheelchair sports and independence nonprofit in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ever wonder how we all functioned without our smartphones and tablets? Remember when phones just made phone calls? Try leaving your devices at home one day and you will be quickly reminded how useful they are. How did we navigate without Google Maps or find restaurants without Yelp and Open Table?

Growing up in St. John's, Newfoundland I never expected that I would have the privilege of playing for Canada on the international stage in two Paralympic sports: wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. I always thought that at some point in my life I would have to make the very difficult choice of choosing between my two passions if I was going to make the leap to the National/International level and represent my country at the Paralympic Games.