Sudbury's Lance Cryderman returns to Paralympic Team after 20 years

Sudbury athlete, Lance Cryderman, earns a spot on Canada's Paralympic team in the sport of Boccia for the 2024 games in Paris, 24 years after he competed at the Olympics in Sydney. Danik Allard, Montreal’s Iulian Ciobanu and Alison Levine join Cryderman and about 130 athletes representing Canada this summer.

Cryderman says he feels confident competing at the highest level

Marcus Medford-Kerr · CBC News · Posted: Jul 21, 2024 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 21

Four Canadian boccia athletes nominated to Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team: Alison Levine, Danik Allard, Lance Cryderman, and Iulian Ciobanu posing in front digital purple and blue back ground with images of athletes. — Four Canadian boccia athletes nominated to Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team: Alison Levine, Danik Allard, Lance Cryderman, and Iulian Ciobanu. PHOTO: Canadian Paralympic Committee (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC)) (Canadian Paralympic Committee)

Don't call it a comeback but Sudbury's Lance Cryderman will compete in Paris at the 2024 Paralympic Games, 24 years after making his debut at the Games in Sydney.

Cryderman is one of four boccia athletes selected to represent Canada by the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Boccia Canada. Danik Allard from Bois-des-Filion, (BC2 classification), along with Montreal's Iulian Ciobanu and Alison Levine (both BC4 classification) will join Cryderman and approximately 130 athletes competing in Paris Aug. 28-Sep 8.

"It is a tremendous honour to have the privilege to represent my country once again at the Paralympic Games and this is not a privilege that I take lightly," Cryderman said.

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Cryderman began playing boccia when he was 12 but took a 16-year hiatus from the sport in 2001 to complete a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from Laurentian University, where he also works as an accessibility advisor.

He made his competitive return in the 2022 World Championships before exiting in the round of 16. At the Parapan Am Games in Santiago, Chile Cryderman won a silver medal. Cryderman is currently the No. 11 men's BC1 athlete in the world.

Cryderman said there were a lot of people he needed to thank to help get him return to competing at the elite level, particularly his performance partner Nick Dunham and practice partner Ryann Dutchburn.

"I can confidently say I would not be attending my second Paralympic Games if it wasn't for the tremendous support of so many people," Cryderman said.

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Josh Vander Vies, is the co-chef de mission for Canada's 2023 Paralympic Team. He congratulated the four members of the Boccia team following the roster announcement and called Cryderman's comeback "remarkable." Vander Vies also labelled the team as "one to watch" in this summer's competition.

Canada's Josh vander Vies competes in boccia at the 2012 London Paralympics. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

"As a boccia Paralympian myself, I know the intricacies of the sport and how skilled and dedicated these four athletes are. I look forward to cheering each of them on at the Games."