George Copeland to be inducted into Ontario athletic hall of fame

A former Windsor firefighter and one of the best college basketball players in the province during the 1980s will be inducted into the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Hall of Fame Wednesday evening.

George Copeland played three seasons for St. Clair College and was named a provincial all-star in each of those.

"It actually means a lot, it's a big surprise and it's nice to know after all these years to be recognized for the things you've done while you were in college," said Copeland.

He admits the honour took him completely by surprise, but said it bring back memories of his college days and his teammates of 30 years ago.

"You remember it like it was yesterday, the guys you played with and the friendships you made over the years," he said."The best time was the comradery and the friendship with the guys. I played with some good players.

Copeland said he'll make the trip to Oakville for the induction ceremony Wednesday with his family.

The accident

Most people in Windsor, however, know Copeland as the firefighter injured when the city fire truck he was driving while answering a call flipped on its side near the approach to the Ambassador Bridge eight years ago.

"I remember that day very clearly, it was one of those days where there was sunshine for a minute, and then it snowed for a minute, and then it was windy for a minute ... it was one of those days where my captain at the time, Bill Hopkins, said, 'It's a weird say today.' Sure enough, by the end of the day that's what happened," said Copeland.

He suffered a spinal cord injury in the crash and now uses a wheelchair.

"I have some sensations on my right side, which is kind of ironic because I was left handed and my left side is less than my right side, but I'm confined to the wheelchair now," he said. "But I still have my spirit, sill have my brains, I sill have a lot of availability as far as my consciousness."

He said his close relationship with his family and friends has helped him cope with the changes from the accident.

"I have a bunch of friends that constantly come and visit to keep my spirits up and from Day 1, the community has always been there," he said.

Living with the change

Copeland's oldest son was 12 and his twin son and daughter were seven years old when the accident happened.

"It changed the fact that I can't do as much with my kids, that's the biggest part of it for me, because I can go see them play their sports, but I can't do as much with them as I would like," he said. "They've grown to mature very well, and they've accepted it very well and they don't treat me any differently."

Copeland said he's proud of how his children have coped with the affects of the accident.

"From my point of view, I teach my kids to be strong and be able to handle anything that is thrown at them and always look at the positive side of things," he said.

Being an athlete helped

Copeland said he met a lot of people playing sports and made a lot of close friends, who have helped him stay positive.

"It's a team thing, where you learn to depend on others. Having my friends around me and [having] friends that I have been friends with since high school ... that helped me to cope with the change that has happened in my life because they're all still here," he said.

He said being in a wheelchair has been an adjustment, but has accepted the changes that come with it.

"My motto is 'live the day' because, like I said, you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."