• Story 36: Wheelchair Basketball

It’s no secret why wheelchair basketball has appeared in several “40 Years. 40 Stories. 40 Days” stories already. BC has long been a powerhouse in the sport and the province is home to championship coaches like Tim Frick , teams like the Vancouver Cable Cars, and more athletes than you can name. Though wheelchair basketball is now administered through the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society, our two organizations work in close partnership.

Today, we take a look back at wheelchair basketball across the past 40 years in BC. We also profile BC athlete Peter Colistro.

Profile: Peter Colistro

In addition to being a track star, Pete Colistro is a talented wheelchair basketball player who served on the Canadian national team for many years with the likes of Rick Hansen, Murray Brown, John Lundie and Chris Samis. He was also a starter on the Vancouver Cable Cars during their peak years. Off the court, Pete gave back to the sport as a founding director of the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society. After an absence from the wheelchair basketball community, Pete recently came out of retirement and, along with Joe Higgins, resurrected the Vancouver Cable Cars to play in the Division 2 CWBL – Open League. Last week, the Cable Cars finished second (behind Victoria) and Pete was named tournament MVP.

Here is a slideshow of wheelchair basketball in action: