Her design – Santa in a wheelchair racing his reindeers around the track – was printed on the cover of the CPC’s Christmas card, which was mailed to Paralympians, national sports organizations, sponsors and others involved in the Paralympic Movement. The Christmas card contest was run under the CPC’s free online schools program sponsored by Petro-Canada called “It’s The Real Deal.”
Norton will speak to the McKernan students about the Paralympic Games, the benefits of sport for people with a physical disability, and his personal story. His motto is “dream big.” Norton has played on Canada’s wheelchair basketball team for almost ten years.
He was on the Canadian teams that won gold at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Summer Games and the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Summer Games. He was introduced to wheelchair basketball by a physiotherapist after a tumor on his spinal cord caused paraplegia. He currently also plays for the Alberta Northern Lights club team.
“We are excited about this opportunity to have Paralympian Ross Norton come to our school to raise awareness of disability issues,” said McKernan grade seven teacher Scott Nahirnik, who encouraged his class, including Wishart, to participate in the contest. “We are excited about having a Paralympic gold medallist in our school.”
Norton will present Wishart with a $250 gift certificate for sporting equipment as a prize for her winning Christmas card design. Her class also wins a free ski and snowboard trip to Rabbit Hill Snow Resort in February.
“The Canadian Paralympic Committee congratulates Elizabeth and thanks her for helping us produce such a creative Christmas card this year,” said CPC President Carla Qualtrough. “Her drawing captures in a fun way that sport has a place in everyone’s life, including people with a physical disability.”
The Petro-Canada “It’s The Real Deal” Paralympic Schools Program is a free online schools program that includes downloadable fun and interactive activities, athlete interviews and photos for students and aims to raise awareness of Paralympic sport and athletes with a physical disability.
