THEVOICE | 8 THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018 | Para-alpi reach summit in Pyeongchang EDITOR ANA ROSE WALKEY Sportsnews Paralympian Alex Cairns skiing down the DOA ski run on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, B.C. sugiiTTED PHOTO BY JIMMY MARTINELLO South Vancouver charity supports athletes in their journey = By CLOE LOGAN his year, three athletes who got their profes- sional start with a South Vancouver adaptive sports charity are going to the Para- lympics in South Korea. Skiers Mel Pemble, Braydon Luscombe and Alex Cairns are competing in Pyeongchang starting Mar. 9. BC Adaptive Snowsports supplied training and equipment to help them on their way to the games. Alex Cairns, 26, said BC Adap- tive Snowsports has been essential to his athletic journey, helping him with equipment and race opportu- nities. “BC Adaptive has been there for pretty much all of my time as a skier,” said Cairns, who joined the BC Para-alpine Ski Team in 2011 and the Canadian national team in 2016. “After my first sit-ski, the BC Adaptive program helped me get a better [one], this opened up a lot of doors for me to progress with a rig,” Cairns said. Cairns races on a mono sit-ski, which has one ski. The athlete con- trols the rig, compared to a bi-ski which has two skis, and often has someone else controlling the rig from handles at the back. BridgePoint Financial Services has sponsored BC Adaptive Snow- sports for the past four years, do- nating to their Black Diamond Gala which raises funds for ski and snowboard programs. Manager Siobhan Barrett said the charity supports opportunities for people with disabilities to snow- board and ski. “Our belief is that everyone has a right to access these activities,” Bar- rett said. Fannie Smith, athletic and com- munications manager at BC Adap- tive Snowsports, said she is over- joyed that she will get to witness the athlete’s first Paralympic Games in person as a volunteer as operations support for Team Canada in Py- eongchang. “I feel like a proud parent. Alex and Mel have basically grown up in our programs and [have] become not only great athletes but amazing role models and inspirations for the next generation,” Smith said. rie: \ > vancouver . bf te 2010. ae _ A Photographers waiting at the finish line of the 2010 Paralympic Alpine Course in Whistler, B.C. sugii77ED PHOTO BY RICK ETKIN Photographers speak of their experiences at the Games =By ANA ROSE WALKEY and WILLIAM CROSBY ith most athletes, the emotion captured on film is what really makes a photo. When it comes to Paralym- pians, the depth of emotion runs a lot deeper than many viewers realize, which is why some sports photog- raphers who photograph the Para- lympic Games focus on emotion and backstory. Langara alumni and photogra- pher Rick Etkin said including a Paralympian’s emotional backstory accentuates the human interest in paring for the Olympics. Now, he is a Paralympian. “He wasn't going to give up - he was a top athlete beforehand and he pictures. _ _ just said “Well, “To get to ‘a . I'm just going that stage Paralympics to come back,” where you can . Etkin said, get out there sa story about adding that and can come . it’s stories like down an al- people overcoming these that make ine course at * re ” the Paralym- b0 [kilometres disabilities. pics an wma per hour] with -NICK DIDLICK, PHOTOGRAPHER ing experience one leg, that's |_ to photograph. tough - it's Nick Didlick, hard enough with two legs for sure. They've all gone through something,” said Etkin, before describing a Para- lympian he once photographed. Skier Josh Dueck broke his back trying to land a backflip while pre- who has shot Olympic Games for 13 years, said photographing a Paralym- pic athlete in a way that features their disability is key to the story. “From a photographer's point of view, we try to show that disability and the overcoming of that disabil- ity,” Didlick said. “That’s really what the story is of the Paralympics and so that's always going to come into play. Paralympics is a story about people overcoming disabilities to have world class competition in themselves.” However, independent photogra- pher Paul Wright works differently than Etkin and Didlick. “I focus more, personally, on the performance of the athlete rather than the backstory,” he said. Wright used to work with Para- lympians as an orthopedic surgeon. “They're not athletes with dis- abilities and they're not inspirational people, you might find them that way but after you've been hanging around with them, they're just ath- letes.” Falcons hopefuls fight for spots New and returning players compete for a place on the men’s soccer team = By AGAZY MENGESHA ith a new soccer season for the Langara Falcons men’s soccer team rap- idly approaching, both returning and new players are fighting for the limited spots on the team. ‘This coming Sunday, an exhibi- tion game against ‘Thompson Rivers University will be held as a tryout for the final spots. But, with over half of the players from last season’s team trying out again, not as many new players will be joining the team. Marc Rizzardo, head coach for over 30 years, said while return- ing players are not guaranteed a position on the team, they have a better chance because he has already worked Joey Ratcliffe with them and facons'soccer knows how they PLAYER play. However, Rizzardo said he is al- ways looking for new players. “Certain players are invited to come play with us and other play- ers are just what we call walk-ons. ‘They'll contact me, they're new to the country or new to the school,” Rizzardo said. “So there's a combi- nation." Joey Ratcliffe, a returning player for the Langara Falcons, attended the tryouts and training camps so he could secure his position on the team. “You hope that as a player that's been on the team previously that you've earned your spot for the fol- lowing year, but there's always the option you get cut,” he said. Vlad Prystay was on the Falcons’ team last year, but was unable to tryout for this season due to a bro- ken ankle. “I actually saw a lot of competi- tion between all of the new play- ers,” said Prystay of his experience at tryouts in past years. He said that not many of them make it through to the team, so stakes between them are high, creating tension. - FALCONS' FACTS CHAMPION- COACH SHIP WINS Marc Rizzardo The Langara has served as Falcons’ men's head coach of soccer team the team for over has won the 30 years. Championships | EAST four times, Pac- RESULTS West Provinicial Championship 13 times and the PacWest League Championships 14 times. Last season, the Falcons brought home one win and landed fifth place in the Pac- West standings.