Lance Cryderman

Started: He took up boccia at age 12 in Sudbury, ON, Canada. "In the '90s, we had the Sudbury Shooting Stars. It was track and field and boccia, everyone was kind of gathering with that one club. That's where I got my start." (sudbury.com, 16 May 2023) Reason: "Boccia opened the door for me to actually explore that competitive nature that I have. It's one sport that I can be excellent at." (Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association YouTube channel, 23 May 2023) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. "[After retiring from competition] I plan to stay involved in the sport in some capacity as a coach or an official." (thesudburystar.com, 29 Sep 2023) Awards: He received the Senior Male Athlete Award at the 2023 Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association Awards Banquet in Canada. (Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association Facebook page, 20 Nov 2023) Additional Info: RETIREMENT AND RETURN He retired from competitive sport a year after competing at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney to focus on his studies. He decided to return after watching a webcast of the 2017 Canadian Championships. He also rebuilt his former club, Sudbury Shooting Stars, which had struggled due to a lack of volunteers. "It's one of the only sports that I would be able to play because of my physical limitations. Boccia is probably the most inclusive of the Para sports. It's been my go-to since day one. When I came back to the sport [in 2017], the national team caught wind pretty quickly that I was making a comeback and they reached out to me right away. I was able to access resources that we would have never had initially. When I first played, everyone used competition balls, standard sets for everyone. Now, everyone plays with a custom set, different densities, things like that. That part of the game took a little bit of time to get used to." (paralympic.ca, 28 Nov 2023, 09 Nov 2023; thesudburystar.com, 29 Sep 2023; sudbury.com, 16 May 2023; cbc.ca, 23 Aug 2018) OCCUPATION He has worked as an accessibility advisor at Laurentian University in Sudbury, ON, Canada. He is also a certified life coach and motivational speaker. He has provided support and courses for teens and young adults with cerebral palsy. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Mar 2024; thesudburystar.com, 29 Sep 2023; Facebook profile, 08 Jan 2023) FURTHER EDUCATION In 2013 he graduated with a master's degree in business administration from Laurentian University in Sudbury, ON, Canada. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Mar 2024)

Sporting Relatives: His wife Danielle has served as his sport assistant. (Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association Facebook page, 06 Oct 2020)