Alison Levine

Started: She began playing boccia in 2012. She was introduced to the sport by Canadian boccia player Marco Dispaltro. (bocciacanada.ca, 10 Mar 2016; Twitter profile, 09 Dec 2014) Reason: Previously involved in horseback riding, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, she took up boccia because it was less physically demanding as her condition progressed. "This is the sport that saved me. Having a serious diagnosis, being affected by degeneration, it is difficult to find meaning in life, to continue, to leave the house. Having something I am passionate about allowed me to say that life is not over, it will just be different than expected." (muscle.ca, 12 Aug 2015) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (cbc.ca, 26 Nov 2023) Milestones: In October 2019 she became the first female boccia player to be ranked number one in the world in the BC4 category by the Boccia International Sports Federation [BISFed]. (paralympic.ca, 08 Oct 2019) Awards: She was flag bearer for Canada at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. (cbc.ca, 26 Nov 2023) Additional Info: RELAXED APPROACH She tries to remain relaxed on court as she believes that doing so enhances her performance level. "When I am relaxed and having fun on court is when I play my best. When you see me goofing around compared to the other boccia athletes that have their headphones on, they are all intense, you might think, 'Well, she is not taking it seriously. Maybe she doesn't want to actually win the medal. She just likes travelling the world'. That's not the case." She says she began taking this approach after she almost quit the sport following a period of success. "As athletes we are perfectionists and we want to be the best. When you start getting really good, you start analysing all the little bad things in order to be even better. And I guess the pressure just got to me and I was scared." (paralympic.org, 26 Feb 2020) ROLE MODEL She believes that the mixed gender aspect of boccia competition provides an opportunity to be a strong female role model. "It almost gives me a feeling of responsibility to make sure to promote that point so that if there's any girls that are watching, it can be in the back of their mind, 'Well if she can do it, I can do it'. Growing up as girls we are often intimidated to try sports because you know there is these big guys on the court and women often get put down and told they are not good enough. I am able to be proof and tell people it doesn't matter, especially in a sport like boccia that is mixed [gender]. Put me against a guy, put me against a girl, I am going to beat you." (paralympic.org, 26 Feb 2020) OTHER ROLES She has served as a member of the Canadian Paralympic Committee Athletes' Council. (cjnews.com, 03 Jul 2019)