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Story 9: The Demo Team
Since its inception in the 1980s, the BC Wheelchair Sports Demo Team has introduced 50,000 students and teachers in schools across the province to wheelchair sports. Current and former athletes demonstrate the sport, share their stories and promote messages of safety, participation, integration and living a healthy, active lifestyle. Students and teachers got a chance to try the sport and play with demo team members. As a result of this program, thousands of children are now aware of wheelchair sports and what people with disabilities can accomplish.
Last year, the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships demo team brought wheelchair rugby to 15,000 students in the Richmond and Vancouver school districts. Thanks to a series of lesson plans created by Laurel Crosby and her team and the hard work of the demo team, the stands of the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships were filled with 7,000 cheering fans who knew the sport of wheelchair rugby better than many of the adults.
Here are some photos of the demo team throughout the ages. We’ve also got a video blog of the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships schools program.