Isaiah moves for opportunity
“There are some days that I feel really tired and just don’t want to train, but I have to remind myself of why I do what I do.”
Isaiah began wheelchair racing when he was nine years old. What started as a way to stay healthy, active, and happy became a path to travel, friendship, competition, and the dream of representing Canada at the Paralympic Games.
Isaiah began wheelchair racing in 2003, when he was nine years old. At first, movement offered something simple and important. “It gives me something to do to stay healthy, physically fit and happy,” he says. Over time, wheelchair racing became much more than a way to stay active. It opened doors to travel, competition, friendship, and possibility.
One of the things Isaiah loves most about his sport is where it can take him. “I like the fact that I can travel to different places in the world, sightsee when possible and meet new friends,” he says.
His training is consistent and demanding. On track days, Isaiah trains four to five times a week, with sessions that include distance work, intervals, tempo, fartlek, speed work on rollers, and active recovery. Each workout helps build strength, endurance, speed, and confidence.
Although wheelchair racing is his main sport now, Isaiah’s movement journey has included other adaptive sports too. He played sledge hockey for nine years and wheelchair basketball for eight. Each sport gave him a different way to move, compete, and be part of a team.
Like any athlete, Isaiah has days when motivation is hard to find. “There are some days that I feel really tired and just don’t want to train, but I have to remind myself of why I do what I do,” he says. One of those reasons is his dream of competing for Canada at the Paralympic Games. Another is the support of his teammates, coach, family, and friends, who help him keep going.
Isaiah has faced setbacks too. A medical issue once kept him from training for about five weeks. Later, the loss of his first coach kept him away from training for about three weeks. That loss was especially hard because his coach shaped more than his success on the track. Isaiah says he also helped him become the person he is today, always offering meaningful life advice.
One of Isaiah’s most memorable moments came at the 2011 Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he won a bronze medal in the 100 metres. The medal represented years of training, support, and belief.
Isaiah believes everyone should find an activity they enjoy, because health comes first. But he also knows movement can lead somewhere unexpected. “You never know what other opportunities your activity can open up down the road,” he says.
Isaiah moves for opportunity.