'I'm healing a part of my inner child': A local athlete's journey to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Allison Lang, a sitting volleyball competitor from Edmonton, is preparing for her debut at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games beginning Aug. 28, 2024. (Courtesy: Allison Lang/Instagram)
As the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games get underway, local athletes aim to place themselves on the winners' podium starting Aug. 28.
Allison Lang, a sitting volleyball competitor from Edmonton, will be playing her first Paralympic games this year after winning silver at the 2022 World Championships.
Lang, who was born missing half her left leg, spoke with CTV News Edmonton about what the games mean to her and her achievements as an athlete.
"I'm not officially a Paralympian yet, even though I'm currently at the village," Lang said on Tuesday. "I'm a Paralympian once I compete in my very first competition here, which is on the 29th against Slovenia."
According to Lang, she was severely bullied emotionally and physically for her disability when she was a child which led her to quitting the sport.
She played soccer, swimming, skiing and snowboarding when she was younger but "ended up quitting all sports" due to her inability to hide her missing leg.
"I took it upon myself to hide my disability for a majority of my life, and it really impacted my self-worth. It feels like a one-eighty being here," Lang said.
"I feel like I'm healing a part of my inner child that struggled so much with my disabled identity, and now that I'm in the village and see other high performance athletes just like me, it's insane."
Representing her country in Paris and seeing how "the world has evolved in accepting disability" drove Lang to inspire young athletes to "try things a little bit out of the norm."
"I hope that someone can take a piece of my story and relate to it – whether or not you're living with a disability, we all have our insecurities," Lang said.
"It took me a really long time to accept them, and I hope through my advocacy online and in sport, I can encourage other people to try new things."
According to Lang, the Paralympics this year have pulled all the stops to make the games as accessible as the Olympics, including live-streaming all events on the Paralympic YouTube channel and the International Paralympic Committee website.
"Everyone was obsessing over the Olympics and I think that athletes partaking and competing in the Paralympics deserve that same recognition," Lang said. "We are proudly representing our flags on our chest, fighting to make the podium and bring our country home a medal."
Team Canada will be represented by 125 paralympians, including Lang, in 19 different sports this year in Paris. Among them are local talents including:
- Amanda Rummery from Sherwood Park - Para Athletics
- Brieanne Baldock from Edmonton - Goalball
- Katelyn Wright from Edmonton - Sitting Volleyball
- Reid Maxwell from St. Albert - Para Swimming
- Reed De'Aeth from Sherwood Park - Wheelchair Basketball
- Zak Madell from Edmonton, resides in Okotoks - Wheelchair Rugby
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air Canada travellers share worries and frustrations ahead of possible pilot strike
Here's what customers had to say about their travel plans ahead of a potential Air Canada pilot strike.
Trudeau says Ukraine can strike deep into Russia with NATO arms, Putin hints at war
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ukraine should be allowed to strike deep inside Russia, regardless of Moscow threatening that this would draw Canada and its allies into direct war.
Driver charged with killing NHL's Johnny Gaudreau and his brother had .087 blood-alcohol level
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
'I couldn't form the words': 23-year-old Ont. woman highlights need for rural health care after stroke
The experience of 23-year-old Muskoka, Ont., resident Robyn Penniall, who recently had a stroke, comes as concerns are being raised about the future of health care in her community.
Three-way race expected in Montreal byelection
Byelections rarely draw the kind of attention that has now put a spotlight on a vibrant and densely populated Montreal riding. The Monday vote in Lasalle-Ville Emard-Verdun, in the city’s southwest, is shaping up as a three-way race and a test of the strength of the Liberal party’s base.
24-packs of Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt recalled over mould
Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt 24-packs are being recalled in Canada due to mould.
Former NHL enforcer Stephen Peat dies after being hit by car in B.C.
Stephen Peat, the former Washington Capitals enforcer who fought concussion issues and was homeless at times after leaving hockey, has died from injuries sustained late last month when he was struck by a car while crossing a street. He was 44.
LIVE UPDATES
LIVE UPDATES Air Canada flights could halt next week: Here's the latest
Air Canada's potential work stoppage could ground flights, halt cargo and leave travellers scrambling to reschedule next week. Follow along with live updates here.
2 suspects charged after Lamborghini stolen in armed home invasion in Richmond Hill: police
York Regional Police say they have arrested two suspects and are looking for at least one more following an armed home invasion in Richmond Hill that saw thieves escape in the victim’s Lamborghini.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Calgary
-
Calgarian pens play about party girl who wakes up blind, based on true events
Ashley King suddenly went blind while halfway around the world. Now, the 32-year-old has written a play about the ordeal. King wrote Static: A Party Girl's Memoir, and is also performing in a production of it.
-
'Better late than never': Alberta glad B.C. premier has changed stance on carbon tax
The Government of Alberta was glad to hear that British Columbia’s premier has changed his tune on the consumer carbon tax at the provincial level.
-
Former Alberta solicitor general, justice minister, to be sanctioned by the Law Society of Alberta
The Law Society of Alberta (LSA) will sanction former solicitor general and justice minister Jonathan Denis after a code of conduct committee found that he breached the code in two cases he worked on in his private law practice.
Lethbridge
-
Coaldale man charged with attempted murder after Lethbridge break-and-enter
Lethbridge police say a 28-year-old man is facing charges of attempted murder following a frightening attack on a woman inside her home this week.
-
Police operation near Vauxhall, Alta., ends: RCMP
A police operation in near Vauxhall, Alta. has ended.
-
1 suspect in custody after break-in and violent assault of Lethbridge woman
A man is in police custody with charges pending in relation to a break-in and violent assault of a woman earlier this week.
Saskatoon
-
New OSB mill construction in Prince Albert set for 2025
After years of delays and planning, a new oriented strand board (OSB) mill is coming to Prince Albert.
-
RCMP investing suspicious death after body found in Sask. home
Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Unit is investigating a suspicious death on Big Island Lake Cree Territory.
-
'Without a burdening carbon tax': Sask. investing over $25M into 13 emissions reduction projects
The provincial government says it will be investing more than $25 million into 13 industry driven emissions reducing projects through a special fund.
Regina
-
'Without a burdening carbon tax': Sask. investing over $25M into 13 emissions reduction projects
The provincial government says it will be investing more than $25 million into 13 industry driven emissions reducing projects through a special fund.
-
Saskatchewan artist fundraising to help family whose son has genetic disease
A Regina based artist is using his platform to fundraise for the family of a young boy with a genetic disease.
-
Regina Pats' Whitehead becomes first CHL player to verbally commit to NCAA
Regina Pats' forward Braxton Whitehead has become the first major junior hockey player to verbally commit to playing in the Division 1 NCAA ranks after his Western Hockey League career ends.
Vancouver
-
Police watchdog called after suspect shot, woman injured in Merritt, B.C.
British Columbia's police oversight agency is investigating after two people were injured – including a suspect who was airlifted to hospital with serious gunshot injuries – during an altercation with Mounties in the B.C. Interior.
-
Staff member hospitalized after assault at B.C. maximum security prison
A staff member at B.C.'s only maximum security federal prison was taken to hospital after an assault earlier this month.
-
Son charged with B.C. woman's murder: RCMP
More than a year after a missing Kamloops, B.C., woman’s body was found, her son has been arrested and charged with her murder, Mounties announced Friday.
Vancouver Island
-
Police investigating suspicious death in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties have launched a suspicious death investigation after a man was found dead Thursday in Nanaimo, B.C.
-
Police watchdog called after suspect shot, woman injured in Merritt, B.C.
British Columbia's police oversight agency is investigating after two people were injured – including a suspect who was airlifted to hospital with serious gunshot injuries – during an altercation with Mounties in the B.C. Interior.
-
Canada to deploy military patrol plane, 50 personnel to Japan
Canada will send a military patrol plane and approximately 50 personnel to Japan this month to support international sanctions on North Korea following that country's recent ballistic missile tests, Defence Minister Bill Blair announced Friday.
Toronto
-
Toronto crowd rallies to fight closure of supervised drug consumption sites
At least 100 people gathered outside the Kensington Market supervised consumption site in a rally to keep it open in the face of new provincial rules that would shut at least a dozen such sites down across Ontario.
-
Ontario's public broadcaster under scrutiny for funding, then pulling Russian war doc
Ongoing controversy over the documentary "Russians at War" has brought scrutiny to Ontario’s public broadcaster, which has said it will not air the film it helped fund.
-
Shooting in Etobicoke sends 1 to hospital: TPS
A man has been taken to hospital following a shooting in Etobicoke Friday afternoon.
Montreal
-
Montreal man seeks living kidney donor as dialysis takes toll
A 25-year-old Montreal man is looking for a living kidney donor and has made a public appeal on social media. Until he finds one, Julian Zadrozny must undergo 10 hours of dialysis a day.
-
How safe are the Liberals in LaSalle–Emard–Verdun? Voters weigh in ahead of Monday vote
LaSalle-Emard-Verdun is one of the safest seats for the Liberals in Canada. They won it by a landslide in 2021, with then justice minister David Lametti earning 10,000 more votes than his closest competitor but now, the tide seems to be turning.
-
Worse than the ice storm: Tropical Storm Debby was 'costliest severe weather event in Quebec's history'
The remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, which caused significant flooding in Quebec, have become the 'costliest severe weather event in Quebec's history,' surpassing the ice storm of 1998, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said Friday.
Atlantic
-
Missing N.S. woman believed dead; man charged with first-degree murder
Police in Nova Scotia now believe a woman reported missing earlier this month is dead, and a man has been charged in her disappearance.
-
N.S. premier to challenge federal plan to send thousands of asylum seekers to province
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is pushing against a federal government proposal that would more proportionately distribute the number of asylum seekers across Canada.
-
Alcohol, speed 'significant factors' in Fredericton crash that left 3 dead in May
The Fredericton Police Force says speed and alcohol were “significant factors” in a fatal collision that killed three people, including two teenagers, in May.
Winnipeg
-
1 dead, 3 injured in Friday morning crash on Portage Avenue
One person has died and three people were injured following a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian at a Portage Avenue intersection Friday morning.
-
What's behind the boom? The Manitoba community that nearly doubled in a decade
For decades, the Town of Ste. Anne was stagnant, but that all changed about 10 years ago. Now it is seeing one of the highest spikes of growth in the province.
-
To remove or not to remove: Debate over taking horns off Gimli's Viking statue
A Facebook post has sparked a debate in Gimli about whether to make a cosmetic change to its iconic statue.
Ottawa
-
Montreal man dead after stabbing in Ottawa's ByWard Market
A man from Montreal is dead following a late night stabbing in Ottawa's ByWard Market.
-
Kingston mayor calls for care hub closure after fatal attack at nearby encampment
The mayor of Kingston, Ont. has issued a call to close the city's Integrated Care Hub on Montreal Street following a deadly incident on Thursday, but his comments have received some backlash from residents.
-
Somali community alarmed after Ottawa police officers wiretapped, watched
Members of Ottawa's Somali community came together Thursday to denounce the Ottawa police use of wiretaps and video surveillance on five of its own Black officers of Somali decent and their family members.
Northern Ontario
-
Driver charged with killing NHL's Johnny Gaudreau and his brother had .087 blood-alcohol level
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
-
Moosonee suspect charged with nine criminal weapons offences
Provincial police seized an arsenal and nearly 300 rounds of live ammunition from a home in on the James Bay Coast on Monday and charged a man with nine criminal weapons offences.
-
Police seize sawed-off shotgun, ammo, northern Ont. teen charged
A northern Ontario teen has been charged with several weapon offences after police responded to a report of a prohibited weapon at a Kapuskasing residence.
Barrie
-
Indoor pickleball facility to open at Georgian Mall
Pickleball fever is taking over the City of Barrie, with its first state-of-the-art indoor pickleball facility in the former Sears site at Georgian Mall.
-
Bears that disrupted Huntsville school 3x this week captured
The three bears are the talk of the town this week in Huntsville, but it's not the storybook version, instead it's a real-life trio that led a local school to lock its doors and keep students indoors.
-
Muskoka man fined heavily for possessing illegal bear parts
Conservation officers are urging hunters to follow the rules after a Muskoka man was fined for illegally possessing bear parts.
Kitchener
-
Hog Heaven: Friday the 13th takes over Port Dover, Ont.
The streets of Port Dover roared to life on Friday for a tradition that has been going on for decades.
-
Record lottery jackpot up for grabs in Ontario
The draw for the highest jackpot ever – by any Canadian lottery – is happening Friday night.
-
24-packs of Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt recalled over mould
Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt 24-packs are being recalled in Canada due to mould.
London
-
Pedestrian struck by car in London’s south end
A serious collision involving a pedestrian has closed Commissioners Road East between Adare Crescent and Rideout Street South in all directions.
-
VIDEO
VIDEO Downtown CUPE rally in support of Western workers turns tense following altercation
There were tense moments near the end of a rally supporting striking CUPE 2361 members from Western University.
-
Police identify shooting suspect and need your help to find him
London police have identified and charged a suspect they say was involved in a shooting earlier this week.
Windsor
-
Tensions rise on Walpole Island ahead of crucial leadership election
Walpole Island First Nation is grappling with unrest as its community heads into a critical election set for Sept. 21.
-
Controversial Russian war documentary cancelled at TIFF to play at WIFF
A controversial documentary that had its screenings cancelled at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will now play at the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF).
-
Essex mayor builds tiny home for different reasons
The concept is popular enough Essex mayor Sherry Bondy built an Additional Dwelling Unit in her Harrow backyard.
