'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.
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