Billy Bridges looking to represent Canada at 5th Paralympics
Mitch Cormier | CBC News | Posted: October 20, 2016 2:28 PM | Last Updated: October 20, 2016
He's the youngest player to ever make Canada's national sledge hockey team, and 19 seasons later Billy Bridges is looking ahead season 20 and his fifth Paralympic winter games.
"Nothing is ever guaranteed but it's definitely my goal to make it my fifth Paralympics in two years, and to bring home another gold medal," said Bridges during a visit home to Prince Edward Island.
On Thursday, Bridges and national teammate Adam Dixon kicked off the ticket drive for the World Sledge Hockey Challenge to be held in Charlottetown Dec. 4-10 at the MacLauchlan Arena.
It offered a chance for the Summerside native to spend some time on the ice in his hometown with his family, who have watched him capture three word championships and a Paralympic gold medal.
"A lot of my family was there, I think we had just about four or five generations out on the ice at one time and it was pretty cool to see," he said.
From youngest to oldest
At 32 Bridges is one of the older members of the national team now, a squad that is getting younger every year.
"The average when I joined the team was 45," Bridges remembers of joining the team at 14. "So joining as a young kid then was pretty tough.
"Our careers have come from not too many people knowing the sport to slowly becoming role models across Canada."
That means more competition for the chance to play sledge hockey for Canada.
"It forces us internally to fight for spots which is only going to make the whole team more competitive."
As he prepares for the 2018 games in South Korea, Bridges said he wants to see Canada back at the top of the podium.
Until then you'll find Bridges in rinks all over Canada giving anyone willing to sit on a sledge an opportunity to try the game.
"It's a real opportunity to have to share this sport and the love of hockey to anyone and to expose it to anyone no matter what their disability is."
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