McMaster University student heads to Paris for Summer Paralympics

When Puisand Lai started playing wheelchair basketball at age 13, she said she "didn't necessarily wanted to become a Paralympian."

"I just didn't know it was an option, you know, and I just enjoyed the game," she said.

But now, over a decade later, the McMaster University engineering student will be in Paris representing Canada on the women's wheelchair basketball team.

Lai, 24, has been preparing for her second go at the Paralympic games and spent severaldays this monthtraining with her teammates in Quebec City before heading to Paris. The games start on Aug. 28 and go until Sept. 8.

The Canadian teampunched its ticket to the 2024 Paralympicsin April afterrouting Algeria at a qualifying tournament in Osaka, Japan.

Early beginnings

Laigrew up in Toronto. When shewas six years old, shewas diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition where the spinal cord is inflamed. The condition meant she no longer hadthe ability to use her lower body.

Lai's mother Jenny Lai said she first signed Lai up for wheelchair sportbecause she was "trying to get her to do any kind of sport."

"We started with sledge hockeyand wheelchair racing and thenwheelchair tennis and then, you know, sailing or all types of sports just to get her going andto meet other people instead of always staying at home," Jenny said.

Initially, Lai enjoyed both tennis and basketball but eventually decided to focus on the latter.

When Lai started playing wheelchair basketball, she said she had no ambitions to play competitively on theglobal stage. But thatchanged because of thesupport she got from her peers. It was in 2017 when she was approached by the national team coach about joining the team.

"I guess they saw potential in me and said that I am able to compete at high levels and convince me and believed in me. So I think that was a really awesome feeling and that's where I decided OKI think I can do it," she said.

Paris won't be Lai's first time at the Paralympics. She played previously in the Tokyo 2020Games where the Canadian women's teamlanded fifth place.

The team has qualified for every Paralympics but one since 1972, but is seeking its first podium appearance since winning bronze in 2004.

Lai said she and her teammates were "kind of disappointed" by the result in 2020. Butin the years since, she said shefeels ready to tackle the Games again.

"Everything was so new to me. I came to the team super fresh with a lot to learn, so I feel like back then I was just trying to almost keep up with the team," she said.

"After having that experience in Tokyo and having that time to get to know my teammates better and how we work together, I think I finally found my role on the team."

Lai said another differenceis that her family will be there to watch her play, as they were unable to travel to Tokyodue to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I hope the Canadian team will go to the finalsbut I guess most importantly, I just want them to have fun and have this very special, memorable experience," Jenny said. "Whatever happens,I'm sure they [will] learn and grow."

Balancing athletics with studies

Between playing competitively, Lai has been studyingmechanical engineering at McMasterUniversity, where she says it's taken"a lot of planning" to manage her time between schoolwork and her athletic career.

That includes switching between full and reduced course loads and taking a semester off.

She also recently interned withchemical producer Dow Inc. at one of its plants inWiesbaden,Germany.

Once she returns from Paris, Lai said she plans to return to Hamilton to finish her final year of studies.As for her plans after graduation, Lai said she wants to keep her options open, which could include playing wheelchair basketball overseas,starting her engineering career, or both.

"I kind of don't want to plan so far ahead when I know things can change really easily... So yeah, I'm not really sure yet," she said.