Trevor Hirschfield (left) and Nicholas Bennett (right) will represent the mid-Island at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, beginning late August. (Photos: Megumi Masuda/World Wheelchair Rugby & Paralympic.ca)

By Alex Rawnsley

paris-bound

Parksville athletes named to Team Canada for Paris Paralympics

Aug 13, 2024 | 10:01 AM

PARKSVILLE — Two athletes from the Oceanside region will represent the country at the highest level.

Swimmer Nicholas Bennett and wheelchair rugby player Trevor Hirschfield were named to Team Canada for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, beginning Aug. 28.

Nicholas Bennett
Paris will mark the second Paralympics for Bennett (Tokyo 2020), and he is scheduled to contest the 200 metre freestyle, 200 metre individual medley and 100 metre breaststroke.

Bennett, 20, is coming off a stellar 2023 with gold medals at the world championships in the men’s 200 metre freestyle and the men’s 200 metre individual medley.

He won silver in the 100 metre breaststroke at the same event, to go along with silver medals in the 200 metre freestyle and 200 metre individual medley at the world championships a year prior.

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Bennett also won the 200 metre freestyle at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

During the qualification process for the 2024 games, Bennett broke the world record in the 200 metre individual medley.

Bennett will contest three events in Paris, including ones where he’s the reigning world champion. (Swimming Canada/Ian MacNicol)

At Tokyo 2020, Bennett made the finals of each of his three events but was unable to make the podium.

He’s trained by his sister Haley and is based in Red Deer, Alberta.

Bennett, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age three, competes in the S14 classification, indicating an intellectual impairment, which can lead to “difficulties with regards to pattern recognition, sequencing, and memory, or having a slower reaction time” according to the World Para Swimming organization.

Competition schedule for Bennett (all times approximate and PDT):

• Saturday, Aug. 31 (200 metre freestyle): Heats at 12:30 a.m., final at 8:30 a.m.
• Monday, Sept. 2 (100 metre breaststroke): Heats at 12:30 a.m., final at 8:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 4 (200 metre individual medley): Heats at 12:30 a.m., final at 8:30 a.m.
  Hirschfield has been co-captain for the men’s wheelchair rugby team since 2012 and is a two-time Paralympic medalist. (Megumi Masuda/World Wheelchair Rugby)

Trevor Hirschfield
Co-captain of Team Canada’s wheelchair rugby team, Hirschfield is preparing for his fifth Paralympic games.

He’s represented the country at Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, winning silver in London and bronze in Beijing.

Hirschfield also helped the team to gold at the 2015 Parapan Am Games in Toronto, and silver at the 2019 and 2023 Parapan Am Games.

The 40-year-old Hirschfield has been a fixture of the national team since 2006 and co-captain since 2012. He’s regarded as an elite-level player and was introduced to the sport by its co-inventor Duncan Campbell in Vancouver.

Hirschfield was left paralyzed below the neck when he was 16 years old after being injured in a car accident.

The wheelchair rugby competition begins Aug. 29, with the medal games on Sept. 2.

A specific game schedule has not been announced as of publishing.

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