WATCH: Twelve-year-old Megan Smith is believed to be the first wheelchair athlete to compete with able-bodied athletes in the Vancouver district. John Hua reports.
Megan Smith is breaking down boundaries in the name of accessibility. The 12-year-old wheelchair athlete is playing for her school basketball team alongside able-bodied classmates.
“Just because I have a disability doesn’t mean…I don’t have a dream to do something,” says Smith.
In this case, Megan’s dream was to be part of the basketball team at Sir James Douglas Elementary in Vancouver.
Born with distal spinal muscular atrophy, Smith already played wheelchair basketball and wanted to join her able-bodied classmates on the hardwood.
“I think it sends a message–to other kids, other coaches, other organizations, perhaps–that now is the time for inclusion,” says coach Sean Smith. “If kids want to play, let’s let them play.”
Two games into the season, Megan has held her own on the court.
“She can score really well,” says teammate Tiffany Lee.
Megan’s biggest fan, no surprise, is her father.
“To see this child out there with a smile on her face, playing something that she wants to play, I’m proud of her,” says Damon Smith.
Megan’s message to aspiring athletes of all stripes is simple: “I would say go for it.”
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