Sometimes, living with a disability can mean being told you can’t do something. For 16-year-old Chantelle, it meant being told she couldn’t play on the basketball team at school. But like many people with a disability, Chantelle didn’t give up. Instead, she proved that she could do it. 

Chantelle’s first step was applying to participate in a sports program run by Active Living Alliance in partnership with YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada. Although the program focused on Canadians with a disability, at first Chantelle was worried about her ability to participate in the activities – which included sports such as water tubing and rock climbing. What she learned, however, was that she and her fellow participants could do so much more than they thought, if they just put in the time and effort to succeed.

“After seeing how much we could do, I realized how little programming existed back home in Winnipeg, Manitoba,” Chantelle admits. Determined to change that, Chantelle began exploring ways to bring a wide range of sports back to disabled members of her community.

Since participating in the program, Chantelle played wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey in the Windsor Classic Disability Games, and has worked to build a stronger community for people living with a disability. Best of all, Chantelle now plays on her school basketball and volleyball teams, and is also a competitive swimmer!