First launched in 2019, WinSport’s program introduces Calgarians with and without physical disabilities to adapted wheelchair sport opportunities. Participants learn a different wheelchair sport each week, provided by coaches from local and provincial organizations in each respective sport. WinSport provides the space and the wheelchairs. The experts provide the instruction.

The fourth session of the program kicked off in January 2023, and this one was special. Thanks to a grant from the Calgary Foundation, WinSport unveiled its own new fleet of 27 wheelchairs, featuring five different sizes painted in the colours of the five Olympic rings.

The new chairs are a game changer for the adapted program, which is part of the Calgary Adaptive Hub, powered by Jumpstart. Wheelchair Sports Alberta had provided wheelchairs for the program since 2019, but WinSport was one of many groups looking to use these chairs. Having our own fleet means we run our programs more regularly and support other users by lending them out to other organizations in the Adaptive Hub when they are not used for WinSport activities.

For 12-year-old Sawyer, the adapted program has helped him discover a world he, and many others, didn’t believe was possible for people like him. He was born with a rare neuromuscular disease for which he requires a tracheostomy for overnight ventilation and the use of a power wheelchair to get around. As a result of the program, he discovered a new love for sport and the endless possibilities it provides, regardless of ability.

He found a place in his community where he not only felt he belonged, but he thrived and realized what he was capable of. The program also changed the life of his mom, Cassandra. “My son has opened my world to so many things, including adapted sports,” she said.

The National Sport School (NSS) was first launched in 1994 and found a permanent home at Canada Olympic Park in 2011. WinSport partnered with the Palliser School Division starting in September 2021 after a long relationship with the Calgary Board of Education. The school, with an enrolment of 397 students representing 35 different sports and 75 different clubs, is designed for families of high-performance developmental and competitive athletes who wish to excel in both academics and athletics. It specializes in the distance learning required to accommodate student-athletes due to competition and training schedules. The NSS, which is located on the first and fourth floors of the Markin MacPhail professional building, expanded in the fall of 2022 to provide the space for the addition of Grade 8 students. Two additional classrooms have been added on the fourth floor, with the first in use in early 2024 and the second in use starting in the fall of 2024. Since moving to COP, 580 students have graduated from the school.

Teaming up with the Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta, WinSport proudly hosts complimentary winter events tailored for Indigenous families. Given Calgary’s youthful Indigenous population, with a median age of 28, our initiative holds the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of Calgary’s Indigenous community. Through our steadfast commitment to providing year-round opportunities, we aim to foster positive experiences for Indigenous youth and families.