An exceptional Paralympic athlete, Wyatt Lightfoot, was recognized by Wood River MLA David Marit, during an address in the Legislature on May 1. Lightfoot was being recognized by the province’s legislators for being recently named as a member of the first-ever Badminton Canada Team as it prepares for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. He has taken his first steps on the road to the Paralympics.
Lightfoot is from Assiniboia, and is in Grade 8 now and will be turning 14 years old in June. He was born with a type of dwarfism. His mother, Amy Lightfoot, explained that while her son loves all sports and being active, his diagnosis only allows him to play non-contact sports. With Lightfoot’s last year of non-contact hockey, his parents sought out other sports such as the competitive swimming in Assiniboia.
Lightfoot caught the attention of Badminton Canada who invited him to join the first Badminton Canada Para National Team which is working toward the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
This is just the beginning of the road to the Paralympics in 2020. This path to Tokyo is a major commitment for Lightfoot and his family. While the Canadian National Team covers items like tournament registration and hotels and the sponsors assist with racquets and team clothing, it’s up to the family to cover air travel and training. They are looking for sponsors. Lightfoot next competes in a tournament in Ireland on June 20-25. He’ll also be heading for the second national para tournament in Vancouver in September, an international tournament in Manhattan in October and another in South Korea in November.
