Canadian sledge hockey star Adam Dixon born to play at the Sochi Paralympics

I met the most incredible guy today, and he has a great name, too! Adam Dixon is a member of the Canadian sledge hockey team that is currently undefeated in these Paralympic Games. In the team's second win, this one against Norway, Adam scored two of the four goals. But it was not a dream of one day competing on the world stage that has motivated Adam to become one of the best sledge hockey players in the world, it was simply a love for the sport. I caught Adam on a rare occasion where he and the team were outside of the Athletes Village attending a Canadian friends and family reception. I introduced myself to Adam, and he generously agreed to sit down with me and share his story.

Adam was born into a hockey family in Midland, Ont.. His dad Wayne (or Wayner as he referred to him) played hockey as a child and his father (Grandpa Jack) was the coach of the team. Adam also grew up playing hockey but at the age of 10 he started to have pain in his leg. Doctors found a lump in Adam’s leg and it turned out to be cancer. He was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in his right tibia. Adam was forced to stop playing hockey in order to have a 10-hour surgery to remove the lump and part of his tibia.

My jaw completely dropped when he told me that the doctor was able to save his leg by replacing part of his tibia bone with a humerus bone of another person. Called an Allograft Endoprosthesis, they essentially put another man's arm in his leg!

Before the surgery Adam had met another man who had already undergone that same surgery but had eventually lost his leg due to infection. The doctors emphasized in speaking with Adam that improvements had been made to prevent infection. The surgery (that was now 15 years ago) was successful and at the hand of an unknown man, Adam was able to keep his leg. I was just blown away by his story and Adam modestly joked that it was pretty cool that he now has three arms and a leg.

Although he still had a long road to recovery ahead with chemo treatments and rehabilitation, Adam was determined to get back to the game he loved. Only 140 kilometres away in Elmvale, Ont., a father had started a sledge hockey team for his disabled son, Darryl Beacock. In the beginning, the team consisted of Darryl and his friends and family, and they built all of the sleds themselves. The team eventually formed the Elmvale Bears sledge hockey team, which is still active today. Adam heard about the team and thought this would be a great way to keep playing hockey while he went through rehab, still hoping one day to play stand up hockey again.

When Adam started driving out to Elmvale to play, he didn’t have any hair due to the chemo treatments but he needed to get back on the ice. While Adam did regain the ability to walk, his right leg would never have the same ability it once had and he would not be able to play stand up hockey at a competitive level. However by the time he realized playing stand-up hockey wouldn’t be in his future, he had already been playing sledge hockey with Darryl and the Elmvale Bears for six years.

In 2006, at 17 years old, Adam was being asked to try out for the national sledge hockey team. He has now been on the team for the past eight years, but remains close friends with Darryl Beacock and attributes much of his success to his time with the Elmvale Bears and the friends he made there.

When I asked Adam at what point he fell in love with sledge hockey, he simply replied that he never had to fall in love with it. He has loved hockey his entire life. For him, sledge hockey is hockey.

Adam is now competing in his second Paralympic Games and as always, his love for hockey is his motivation, but the Canadian team is striving for gold.