Once a Paralympian, always a Paralympian.
Paul Jalbert has been there twice, as a cyclist, but he has a new passion now, playing boccia.
Although he's played the game for only eight months, the 48-year-old from Prince George has proved a quick study.
In his first attempt, Jalbert won his first SportAbility provincial championship last November. Next weekend in Richmond he'll try to make that two in a row.
"I'm trying to defend my provincial title and it's looking good, my positioning is coming around so I'm looking forward to this," said Jalbert, who represented Canada as a cyclist in the Paralympic road racing and time trial events in 1992 in Barcelona and in 2002 in Athens.
"It takes patience and concentration to play boccia and I think it helps that I was a cyclist. I competed for 14 years in cycling and I know what it takes to get to a certain level. Boccia is not as physical, but there is a lot of strategy and you have to be sharp [mentally] to get the ball to where you want it.
"When you're playing against somebody who has a difficult time throwing the ball you have to have a lot of patience and respect for an opponent. Nationals was a real eye-opener for me."
At the national championships in London. Ont., in March, Jalbert placed eighth in his pool. He went on to compete in a DefiSport event in Montreal in May and came away with more satisfying results, advancing to the round-robin tournament.
Jalbert was a five-pin bowler in a fun league 15 years ago and he's drawing on that experience now that he's taking aim at boccia balls.
Boccia's origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, and It has been a Paralympic sport since 1984. It originally gained popularity in North America as a sport for people with cerebral palsy, a condition Jalbert has had since he was born. To be eligible to compete at the national or international level, boccia players must have a disability that necessitates a wheelchair as a result of cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or some other neurological condition.
Boccia is played individually, or on teams of two or three. Four ends make up one singles game, with each player throwing six leather-covered balls per end. The game starts with one player throwing a white ball known as a jack, and with the next shot that same player tries to place one of their coloured balls as close to the jack as possible. The opposing player then shoots until one ball of their balls ends up closest to the jack. Then it's the other side's turn to try and get closer or knock the opponent's ball out of the way. When all balls have been thrown, the referee awards a point for every ball from one player or team that is closer to the jack than the opponent's closest ball.
Boccia players are classed based their levels of functional ability. Jalbert is able to throw with his hand unaided and competes in the BC2 class. Players in the more disabled classes are allowed to use their hands or feet, can have an assistant to stabilize them while throwing, or use a ramp to allow them to aim and release the ball.
Canada's national team qualified for the 2012 Paralympics and Jalbert isn't making any guarantees, but he can't help but think about a return to the Paralympic team for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
"I'm not ready for London, but I know I have a chance," he said. "It depends on how I do at nationals this year. Then I'll look at the next Paralympics when I'll have more experience."
