Puisand Lai

Started: She took up the sport in 2013. (wheelchairbasketball.ca, 01 Jan 2020) Reason: "When I was 13 years old, my parents signed me up for a lot of different sports. I hated going to practises at first but it eventually grew on me and now I love the sport." (cg2019.gems.pro, 01 Feb 2019) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (ollt-magazin.de, 25 Apr 2023; paralympic.ca, 16 Apr 2024) Awards: She was named Female Athlete of the Year for 2023 by Wheelchair Basketball Canada [WBC]. (wheelchairbasketball.ca, 01 Jan 2024) She was named Cruiser Sports Most Valuable Player in 2014 and 2016. (cg2019.gems.pro, 01 Feb 2019) Additional Info: LEAVING CLUB She announced she will be leaving German club Rhine River Rhinos at the end of the 2023/24 1. Bundesliga season. "I am so grateful and proud to have been part of the Rhinos this year. Being part of this team and this league has shown me a whole new level of physicality and competitiveness in the game. It was an absolute privilege to compete alongside this team and I felt our progress reach new heights throughout the season. Although I had some setbacks with injuries and national team commitments that allowed me less time with the team, my experience here was invaluable for my personal growth on and off the pitch." (rhine-river-rhinos.de, 25 Jun 2024) BALANCING TRAINING WITH STUDIES She combines her training and playing commitments with studying for a degree in mechanical engineering at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Canada. During the COVID-19 pandemic her lectures were online, which she says made things easier logistically. "It's definitely been tough to do classes and also train at the same time. It's been hard to juggle the two and there's been a lot of planning ahead to see when I should take certain courses. But the online courses could definitely be a good thing, since I'd be able to take courses that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to and it just makes the commuting element so much easier." (wheelchairbasketball.ca, 14 Sep 2020)