The puck drops on an Okotoks event in support of adaptive sports next weekend.
The second annual Cederstrand Foundation Sledge Hockey Tournament hits the Viking Rentals Centre with six teams taking to the ice to raise funds and awareness for the adaptive sports community.
“It’s definitely much easier the second time around,” said foundation founder Chris Cederstrand. “Last year was a learning curve being our first big event that we ran. We’ve had such an incredible support from the Town, from the community, everything really fell together this year.”
All five teams from last year are back for the tournament, a group that includes the Okotoks, High River and Rocky View fire department teams, Okotoks town council’s ‘Governerds’, a Source for Sports squad and another new team of youngsters.
“It was really amazing to see so many people come out and really get outside their comfort zone and embrace a new sport,” he said. “There’s so many positive memories from last year.”
The Cederstrand Foundation’s mandate is to support individuals with physical limitations reintegrate into sport and physical activity.
“We’re trying to help people out and allow them to be active again,” he said. “The cost of adaptive sporting equipment is astronomical and any way that we can help people become active again, it helps them both physically and mentally.”
To date, the foundation has supported three recipients, including a young sledge hockey player now part of the national women’s team, a track-and-field athlete at the Canadian Sport Institute who is now the Canadian record holder in his classification in discus and shot put and a visually impaired student in the Foothills School Division.
Cederstrand is an above knee amputee following a workplace accident at the age of 25.
The Okotokian worked his way onto the Canadian national sledge hockey team for eight seasons, including opportunities to compete at the world championships and as an alternate for the Paralympics.
Slowly, but surely, inclusivity and adaptive sports spaces are becoming more prevalent, he added.
“People are realizing it is an issue within our society,” he said. “It’s not necessarily someone that’s got a visible disability per se, missing a leg like me, there’s so many people out there that have had just an injury.
“To go to the schools and see that stuff embraced and see that inclusivity is such a cool thing. It changes the perspective of so many people, they get to try a new sport, they’re able to include everybody in their sport or their class.”
Once again, there will be opportunities to try out the sport on the ice and around the arena track via rollersled.
“If people want to try it out on the ice, it’s a blast,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anybody that said they didn’t enjoy it. If you’re out there for a little while, it can definitely be physically taxing.
“It’s pretty funny when you hear all the firefighters complain about being sore the next day.”
For those wanting to support the foundation, a silent auction will be held at the event. In addition, the foundation is looking for volunteer support on the day.
“We so appreciate the support of everybody in Okotoks,” he said. “They’ve been an incredible part of my journey and my story and with the support they’ve given the foundation, they’re already part of some incredible stories that are building right now.
“I hope people see the benefit of what the foundation is able to do, and we just want to see as many people out as possible cheering people on.”
Cederstrand said interest in the tournament has grown considerably and organizers are looking at expanding the field of teams in future iterations of the event.
For more information, go to cederstrandfoundation.com.
