Maggie has a need for speed, which requires skill, determination, and a custom-fit racing chair that could keep up with her. Maggie already developed the first two skills as para-athlete for the Alberta provincial team, and the Shine Foundation finished the list, providing her with a record-breaking custom racing chair to help her reach her ambitious goals.
Living with cerebral palsy, nineteen-year-old Maggie has been racing for over two years and has already received multiple gold medals in 100m and 200m races. Before a big race, Maggie can be seen training on the track up to six times a week. The only problem was that Maggie was in a lot of pain, straining her body with the continuous training sessions in a racing chair that didn’t fit her body. The racing chair she used was borrowed from the para-athletic program, which was great when she was first starting out, but after discovering her new talent, Maggie’s sights were set on competing in the Paralympics with Team Canada. A custom-fitted chair was the main tool that would help her reach the next level. But a new racing chair wasn’t financially feasible for a young university student, and so training for national competitions seemed out of reach.
Maggie was presented with her new hot-pink customized chair on the track at the University of Alberta, her regular training spot. Overwhelmed with the realization that her once unreachable dream was now sitting before her eyes, Maggie couldn’t help but feel emotional: “It just makes me feel important and seen, and that people want to see me succeed out there, and that just means the world to me.”
Since her Shine Experience, Maggie can’t stop enjoying her new ride, naming it Sassy, a fitting name based on the hot-pink colour and power of the racing chair. At the first meet of the season, Maggie broke 20 seconds in the 100m, and a 2 second personal best. Not only is she riding faster, but she can train in it longer without being in pain. This was the upgrade Maggie needed, and with her new, comfortable, custom-fitting pink racing chair, Maggie’s new challenge is qualifying for the next Paralympics!
