Hometown athlete is going to the Paralympics this summer

Zak Madell and Team Canada are making their way to Paris this summer to compete in the Paralympic Games.

Wheelchair Rugby Canada competed at a last-minute Paralympic Qualification Tournament in New Zealand from March 20-24, where they earned a spot on the podium and a spot at the Paralympic Games. 

Zak Madell, a Holy Trinity Academy alumni, has been part of Team Canada since the 2012 London Paralympic Games and has helped the team achieve success numerous times.

In 2012, his team won Silver, and at the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio De Janeiro, Team Canada placed fourth.

At the 2020 Tokyo Games, his team placed fifth.

Madell was named the MVP for the 2014 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships in Odense, Denmark, the 2014 Canada Cup International Wheelchair Rugby Tournament, and the 2015 World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge.

He was also named the Team Canada flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony of the Toronto 2015 Parapam American Games, after the team won its first gold medal in 13 years.

At the qualifying tournament in New Zealand, Team Canada beat the teams from Brazil (57-39), Netherlands (55-35), and New Zealan (54-39).

The only game they lost was the gold medal match.

For gold, Team Canada took on Australia, who were able to win by a single point.

With a score of 49-48 in overtime, Team Australia was able to snatch the gold.

Even though Team Canada won silver at the tournament, they still qualified to make it into the Paralympic competition.

"It was a really good week for us. Couldn’t be prouder of our team. Every game, the team came out ready, fired up and united," explained Team Canada's Head Coach Patrick Côté in a media release from March 28. "It was good to see Matt, Rio and Joel show up like vets and carry a lot of the load for us. They were key in our qualification. The team continues to show growth, pushing the bar higher...the next few months will be exciting."

The Paris 2024 Paralympics games will take place from August 28 to September 8, 2024, and it's the first time the games have been held in Paris.

To learn more about the sport and the games, keep an eye on the Paralympics website.