Ferguson brings a source of calm developed over six Paralympic appearances

McLachlan, a 39-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., scored 21 points and grabbed 22 rebounds to lead a Canadian team looking to bounce back from a sixth-place finish four years ago in London. Cindy Ouellet of Riviere-du-Loup, Que., added 14 points and six boards.

Canada’s match was the first of these Games, and the large crowd — the 13,000-seat Olympic Arena was about two-thirds full — was a positive sign after fears of poor turnouts.

The crowd rivalled the preliminary basketball rounds a month ago during the Olympics. Large pockets of noisy schoolchildren made for a festive environment, thanks no doubt to the #FillTheSeats campaign aimed to provide tickets for Brazilian children.

Ferguson’s resume includes an incredible six consecutive Paralympic and world championship gold medals during a thoroughly dominant decade for Canada between 1992 and 2002. She also led Canada to bronze at the 2004 Games and gold at the 2014 world championships.

Along the way, the 42-year-old from Holland Landing, Ont., has had a front-row seat for the development of the wheelchair game.

Technology has improved, along with training and playing opportunities that weren’t there when she made her Paralympic debut back in 1992 in Barcelona.

Rules around the chairs have changed to maximize players’ athleticism, including additional strapping, plus small wheels added to the back that “allows us to move our centre of gravity forward so we can pivot faster, we move better,” Ferguson said.

There are numerous pro leagues worldwide. And so Ferguson, who has an exercise physiology degree from the University of Illinois and worked for Sport Canada for over 10 years, now makes a living as a full-time athlete.

Like their able-bodied counterparts, the wheelchair players are carded athletes, meaning they receive a monthly stipend from Sport Canada. They also receive funding through Own the Podium.

Ferguson plays professionally in Germany when she’s not with the national program.

“As people have embraced the Paralympics, people see it as sport, and they value the athleticism, and it’s created those opportunities for us to be professional athletes,” Ferguson said.

Para-nordic skier and wheelchair athlete Colette Bourgonje is believed to hold the national record for Paralympic appearances with 10, a Canadian Paralympic Committee spokesperson said. Bourgonje, who retired in 2014, competed in the Winter Paralympics on seven occasions and made three appearances at the Summer Paralympics.

Common sense would say Rio is likely Ferguson’s final Paralympics. But if she’s playing every game like it’s her last, it’s because she’s been doing that for years.

“I’ve always played that way. I didn’t expect to have a career this long, but I’m just taking it day by day and as long as I’m having fun and contributing, I’ll keep playing,” Ferguson said.

She’s a big believer in savouring every moment, and credits former longtime coach Tim Frick for that.

“Each Games is unique, so you want to take those moments,” she said. “So many times we look at the past, and we forget to enjoy the moment we’re in right now. I learned that from Tim Frick. He was really big on just being in the present and savouring what you have.”

Ferguson, the youngest of six kids, was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of nine during surgery that was intended to improve her scoliosis.

Wheelchair basketball runs on a point classification system, according to a player’s mobility. The higher the point number, the greater the player’s functional ability. The points of the five players on the court can’t exceed 14.

Ferguson is a 3.0. McLachlan, who won two Canadian university titles with the Victoria Vikes before suffering a severe knee injury playing rugby, is a 4.5.

McLachlan said, as far as first games go, Canada’s win was solid.

“We were all a little nervous going in, but that’s natural with a first game of a Paralympics,” she said. “We focused on the little things and didn’t let a bad pass or missed shot affect us over the course of the game, and it felt good, it felt confident out there.”

There were undoubtedly several dozen schoolkids back home in Ontario watching with interest. Ferguson, who was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame in 2012, mentors over 125 kids in low-income schools across Ontario as part of the Classroom Champions program.

One of Ferguson’s recent themes with the kids was “community,” and one of her classes, on its own initiative, spent a morning after a snowstorm shovelling driveways.

“They left cards (at each house) that said, ‘Hope this made your day better,’” Ferguson said with a proud smile.

Another group of young kids started a reading program with a seniors home in their neighbourhood.

“That’s one of the things that motivates me,” Ferguson said of the volunteer work she does. “On those hard training days, they’re cheering for you. It’s one of my privileges as an athlete to do this.

“Everyone is like, ‘Oh you give so much to the kids.’ I don’t think of it that way. I get so much from the students and the teachers and the parents of the kids. I think, ‘If only you knew how much you build me up.’”

Canada’s next game is Saturday against Argentina.

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Ferguson brings a source of calm developed over six Paralympic appearances

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