Athletes with disabilities hoping to take on able-bodied competitors at 2015 Pan Am Games

TORONTO – Paul Tingley has already won gold for Canada in the sport of sailing. That was back in 2008 during the Beijing Summer Olympics.

“The exhilaration, the challenge, it’s the rush that you get, and it’s my passion,” he said.

But this summer, when thousands of athletes and fans gather in Toronto for the Parapan Am Games, Paul won’t be able to repeat his victory because the sport of sailing isn’t offered.

“We work really hard and to have the red and white colors on your back and represent Canada would be the ultimate honor,” said Tingley.

For many of athletes with disabilities the value of sports extends well beyond competition.

“I just fell in love with it, it changed my life in a lot of ways when I started sailing,” said teammate Scott Lutes. “It’s allowed me to travel, it’s allowed me to refocus my energy on an athletic pursuit and meet some incredible people who are doing great things.”

WATCH: Paul Tingly and his team on Lake Ontario

Tingley and his team are hoping the weather will level the playing field this weekend when they compete in the Ice Breaker Regatta, the qualifying race for Pan Am sailing.

“We’re hoping to offset our weaknesses with our strengths on knowing how to race. If the wind gets really strong we’re going to struggle, because we don’t have the balance on the boat and aren’t able to keep it flat, which most of the stronger teams will do. So if it’s light air, which it’s suppose to be this weekend, we’ll be able to more equally compete with the others,” said Tingley.

The first Parapan Am Games was in Mexico in 1999. It featured around 1,000 athletes from 18 countries competing in four sports. This Summer the number of sports has more than tripled. There will be 15 with over 1,600 para-athletes – the largest Parapan Am Games ever.

“It would be a double whammy for us because we would be competing with the able bodied crew, to make it through would be a great statement,” said Lutes.

But the odds aren’t in their favour. Only the top-ranked team out of 16 will qualify for a Pan Am spot according to Tingley.

The team says they’re using the event as training for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Canada has already qualified in the sport of sailing.