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 at age nine and built his life around the track through discipline, community, and a long term dream. For him, movement is health, happiness, and a doorway to places and possibilities he never expected.
Isaiah keeps his relationship with movement simple and honest. “I believe the main role for physical activity in my life is that it gives me something to do to stay healthy, physically fit and happy,” he says.
He began wheelchair racing in 2003 at the age of nine, and the sport quickly became more than training. Isaiah loves what the track has opened up beyond performance. “I like the fact that I can travel to different places in the world, sightsee when possible and meet new friends,” he says.
His schedule is consistent and specific. Isaiah trains four to five times a week, and each session has a purpose. He rotates through distance work, interval sessions, tempo runs, fartlek work with changing speeds, and speed training on rollers with active recovery between efforts. He has trained in other adaptive sports in the past, including sledge hockey for nine years and wheelchair basketball for eight, but wheelchair racing became the focus he kept returning to.
Motivation, for Isaiah, is built from both dream and community. “There are some days that I feel really tired and just don’t want to train,” he says, “but I have to remind myself of why I do what I do.” One reason is clear. “My dream goal is to compete for Canada at the Paralympic Games,” he says. Another reason is the people beside him. He enjoys training with teammates who work hard and push each other, and he credits the support of his coach, family, and friends for helping him keep showing up.
Isaiah has also faced setbacks that forced him to pause. One was medical and kept him from training for about five weeks. Another was personal. He lost his first coach a couple of years ago and stepped away from training for about three weeks. The loss was heavy because that coach shaped him on and off the track. Isaiah says his coach “helped me become the person that I am today, always having great life advice.”
One moment still stands out as a milestone in his racing journey. Isaiah’s most memorable experience was winning a bronze medal in the 100m at the 2011 Para Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Isaiah believes movement is something everyone deserves, not only athletes. “I believe it is very important for everyone to find an activity that they enjoy doing,” he says. “Being healthy first of all is the most important thing,” he adds. “You never know what other opportunities your activity can open up down the road.”
Isaiah moves for opportunity.
What has movement opened up for you, or what do you hope it opens up next? Share your story here!