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Ice sledge hockey captain to give talk in Ottawa on International Day for Persons with a Disability

03 December 2007

OTTAWA-GATINEAU (December 3, 2007) – Paralympic gold medalist Jean Labonté will be talking about his life as an elite athlete with a physical disability today – International Day for Persons with a Disability – at La Cité collégiale in Ottawa beginning at 11:30 a.m.



“I never though that my disability would bring me to where I am today – I’ve had tremendous Paralympic experiences,” said Labonte, who was on Canada’s national sledge hockey team that won gold at the Turin 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. He was also part of Canada’s team that won silver at the Nagano 1998 Paralympic Games.

Labonté will describe to executives, professors, support staff and other employees of La Cité collégiale his experience of being born again after his leg was amputated following a diagnosis of bone cancer.

“The goal of the Paralympic Movement is to make the perception of disability disappear, replacing it with accessibility, integration and equality,” said CPC President Carla Qualtrough. “On International Day for Persons with a Disability, Jean will demonstrate through his thrilling personal story just how this can be done.”

When the cancerous part of Labonté’s leg was initially removed, it was replaced with a steel rod that went all the way down to his ankle. The rod broke in 1990, and subsequently his leg was amputated above the knee.

“I was born again after the amputation. The change allowed me to get into sports again,” says Labonté. “When I got cancer, it put a stop to most of my physical activities, mainly because of chemotherapy and my cumbersome straight leg.”

Recently named captain of the 2007-08 national sledge hockey team, Labonté is the only player to be named to every edition of Team Canada since 1996.

A native of the Gatineau area, Jean studied at the University of Quebec in Hull, where he obtained his degree in computer science. He’s currently employed as a software designer. He lives in Gatineau with his wife Isabelle and their son Louis-Xavier.

Ice sledge hockey is a fast-paced, highly physical Paralympic version of ice hockey.

La Cité collégiale is located at 801 Aviation Parkway in Ottawa. Please note that Jean Labonté will be speaking in French.

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