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Four National Champions Crowned at the 2011 Canadian Boccia Championships

16 March 2011

Competition wrapped up yesterday at the 2001 Canadian Boccia Championships in London.

Keven Smith-Worthylake (Ottawa, ON) won his first national title in a tight match against his Ontario teammate Brock Richardson. Most players in the BC1 division throw the ball, but Smith-Worthylake’s cerebral palsy affects his upper body more than his lower body, so he kicks the ball instead. He’s the only player in Canada to play this way.

“I’m very happy to be the first BC1 national champion from the Ottawa Odyssey Boccia Club. I hope I’m one step closer to achieving my goal of being on the national team” said Smith-Worthylake.

In the BC2 division, London’s Tammy McLeod and Adam Dukovich met in the final, with Dukovich emerging victorious. With four Paralympic Games between them, a match between these two is always a nail-biter, and the final was no exception.

Paul Gauthier (Vancouver, BC) capped his return to the national scene after a one year break with a gold medal performance in the BC3 division.

Newcomer Marco Dispaltro (St.Jerome, QC) continued his unbeaten streak to take gold in the BC4 division.

There wasn’t much time for the winners to savour the moment. Today, they joined other talent identified athletes at a selection camp in London where they began the process of competing for a spot on the Canadian team for the 2011 Boccia World Cup, which will be held in Ireland this August.

Boccia is a Paralympic sport open to athletes with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke or similar conditions. All competitors compete in wheelchairs and some are permitted to use assistive devices (usually a ramp or chute to aid in delivering the ball). Only athletes with a severe disability are eligible to compete in boccia. Boccia is played in singles, team and pairs events.

The Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA) is an athlete focused national organization administering and governing sport opportunities targeted to athletes with CP and related disabilities. CCPSA and its provincial partners cooperate as a proactive force to facilitate the development of equitable and fair sporting opportunities for our athletes.

For more information
Jennifer Larson
CCPSA
(613) 890-1170  

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