A young sledge hockey player from New Brunswick is living his dream, playing for Canada’s national sledge hockey team in front of a hometown crowd.
It’s a goal he set as a child.
When Jacob LeBlanc of Moncton makes his way into the player’s box for Team Canada, he can’t help but think back to a comment he made nearly a decade ago when he was a little boy with a big dream.
“I would like to play in the nationals for sledge hockey in maybe 2022,” he said in an interview with Global News back in 2014.
The now 21-year-old was a first selection for the national sledge hockey team in 2022. He is now playing in front of a hometown crowd this week at the Para Hockey Cup being held in Quispamsis.
“I am unbelievably proud to say that I come from this province,” said LeBlanc who is playing defence on the national team.
Making it to Canada’s national team, he said, was not easy.
“My road was not paved but I was willing to go down that road any way.”
Coming from a small province where the sport was not yet well established meant that he had to work extra hard to hone his skills and to get noticed.
“There was a lot of times that I thought maybe it is not even worth going through it but I kept to it and I finally made it out,” said LeBlanc.
He is now hoping to inspire other young athletes to do the same — no matter where they call home.
“I want to give young people with disabilities their chance and to open their door to the national team,” he said.
LeBlanc’s mentor, Greg Westlake who is Team Canada’s assistant coach said that Jacob brings a special energy to the team.
“He is showing that you can come from a smaller place in Canada and make it all the way to team Canada and take your shot at making the Paralympics,” said Westlake.
Looking back to his younger self who had a dream so long ago, he says, “there was some adversity but you stick through it and you make it.”
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