Ryan Rousell

Started: He began fencing at age seven and trained with non-Para teammates before trying wheelchair fencing in 2016. "Being a seven-year-old kid and having the chance to beat somebody with a sword sounded pretty awesome to me." (paralympic.ca, 14 Jul 2021, 09 Jul 2021; cbc.ca, 01 May 2018) Reason: His coaches tried to convince him to try wheelchair fencing but he wanted to keep training and competing in non-Para fencing at first. Canadian wheelchair fencer Ruth Sylvia Morel, who was also a scout for the national team, was invited to scout athletes in Saskatchewan, Canada, and invited him to a national camp and competition when she noticed his talent. ''That was actually the first time I tried it, in front of Sylvie. I just loved it and got addicted to it.'' (paralympic.ca, 14 Jul 2021, 09 Jul 2021; cbc.ca, 01 May 2018) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.ca, 12 Jul 2024)