It’s the tournament of a lifetime for a couple of hardworking Calgary athletes. And no matter what happens as they take on the world, they’ll be winners on and off the field.
Soccer players Lucas Bruno and Shaun Etherington are preparing to head off to a major international competition in Spain.
“We’re going to Barcelona on Tuesday (April 26) for the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football World Cup,” Etherington said.
Bruno and Etherington are the two Calgary members of Team Canada at the event, which features players living with various disabilities.
“I was born with cerebral palsy,” Bruno said. “My left side is able to do most things and on my right side I have trouble with fine mobility, like tying shoes or cutting something on my plate.”
Etherington’s been living with physical challenges since 2010.
“I suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident,” Etherington said. “My balance has been off ever since and I have mild incoordination with my limbs.”
Bruno is a veteran of Team Canada soccer competition
“I’ve been to Europe,” Bruno said. “I’ve been to South America.”
The World Cup tournament will be Etherington’s first taste of international soccer at this level.
“It’s life-changing,” Etherington said. “This is something that I never thought I’d have a chance to do.”
Both men are squeezing training sessions into their busy lives.
“I’m a chemical plant operator,” Etherington said.
“I’m working as a community support worker,” Bruno said.
The Calgary players are hoping for the best in Barcelona, with Team Canada starting off in a group with England, Venezuela and the Netherlands.
“My cerebral palsy has given me a lot of options to open the door to go around the world,” Bruno said. “You get to interact with the other teams and see different countries and cultures and be able to try your best for your country. It’s amazing!”