Twelve-year-old Carter Morrison of Carlyle has helped lead Team Canada into the opening ceremonies at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, led Saskatchewan's Olympians into the province's Legislature and has been both a representative and a resident of Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the three prairie provinces. Now he has embraced a new challenge- instead of acting as an ambassador on the world, national and provincial stages, he'll compete in multiple athletic events as a member of Team Canada at the upcoming 7th World Dwarf Games, held August 5-12 in Guelph, Ontario.
“I really can't wait to and be a part of Team Canada,” he says. “And compete against people like me and to see about my abilities.”
The games in Guelph will welcome competitors “from ages four to 99” from around the world. In addition to the Team Canada contingent- of which Carter is a member- teams from Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the UK, the USA, Spain and Switzerland and others will compete at the event, which is held every four years.
The World Dwarf Games is the largest sporting event in history exclusively for athletes with dwarfism, welcoming short-statured athletes with the condition to compete in events and categories within their own age groups and in open categories.
Carter- who was born with achondroplasia- is competing in both categories and in the following events: badminton (singles and doubles), boccia (team and singles), basketball, archery, marksmanship, soccer, floor hockey, running (60 metres, individual and relay), discus, shot put, javelin, volleyball, table tennis and kurling (in which rocks with wheels are used).
“I know, it's just crazy,” laughs Carter. “My mom was asking me what sports I was going to do and there's 14 different sports!”
Although some of his fellow competitors are elite athletes who have competed in the Paralympic Games and the Parapan Am Games, Carter is relishing the chance to compete on a level playing field among his peers and is already training in preparation for the Games.
“I'm most excited about badminton, basketball and floor hockey,” he says. “I'm eating healthy and watching what I eat and I've started going to Mr. (Colin) Wilson's fitness classes at school three times a week.”
“He has us doing burpees, push-ups, planking, wall sits and a lot more stuff,” adds Carter. “He's really got us working on our core and endurance.”
“It's going to be all little people, so it'll be fun, but I really want to see about my abilities.”
Carter first heard about the Games via a friend- and now, fellow competitor.
“My friend Wyatt from Wilcox has the same condition as me,” he says. “He's a little person and his mom told my mom about the Games.”
“As soon as I heard about it, I knew I wanted to go and compete,” says Carter. “It will be like the Olympics because there will be a lot of socializing- not just sports- and I want to meet some new friends. But it will be different this time, too. This time, I want to go there to have fun and to compete, but I also want to win.”
Three family members are confirmed as Carter's cheering section in Guelph. His dad Trevor, mom Lisa and sister Makenna are going and have also all applied to be volunteers at the event. His brother Mitchell also hopes to attend.
“This will be a learning experience for all of us,” says Lisa. “For Carter, it will be a good experience. He'll see and compete against athletes of all different levels and he'll see where he fits in and it will help him see what he's capable of.”
“I'm really excited,” says Carter. “And hopefully, I win!”
