A five-time Paralympian is seeking the community’s support for his bid to become a Local Hero.
Paul Gauthier is taking part in the Local Heroes competition organized by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association, which demonstrates how people in Canada and the Untied States have overcome the challenges of living with a disability. The winner will receive an accessible van – something he needs in order to continue his efforts to improve the lives of others.
“I have learned a lot over the years,” he recently told city council. “I have learned I can’t do things alone.”
Gauthier is currently in first place in Canada and 12th place in North America, but needs the community’s help to reach his goal of moving up to 10th place by the May 9 deadline for online voting.
Gauthier, who has Cerebral Palsy, is currently in Montreal attending an international boccia competition, a game similar to lawn bowling and played on an indoor court. The competitors’ rankings will determine their positions when they enter the World Championships in China in September.
Gauthier is no stranger to boccia competitions, having competed in the sport for more than 20 years, including five Paralympic games.
Gauthier said 2004 was his “big year” as that’s the year he won a gold medal in the individual event and a bronze in pairs.
“Sport has enriched my life,” he said. “It has allowed me to meet many different people and learn how they approach challenge and achieve life goals within their culture.”
Gauthier met his wife Sarah when she worked as his sport assistant. They recently moved to New Westminster, as they believe it’s a wonderful place to raise their three-year-old son Matteo.
Gauthier, a member of the city’s access ability advisory committee, was the coordinator for the B.C. Personal Support Network, where he was in charge of bringing assistive technologies to those who needed it in B.C. – whether it was modified vans, walkers, or visual and hearing related aids. His background also includes work with numerous disability-related organizations and involvement with the B.C. Coalition of Persons with Disabilities and Spinal Cord Injury B.C.
Gauthier is interested in finding ways to partner with provincial and federal levels of government to fund infrastructure projects to improve accessibility.
He’s also looking to establish a new nonprofit organization based in New Westminster that will help people with disabilities and seniors effectively use support services, while maintaining their autonomy and dignity.
“A van will be able to help me do that,” he said.
Anyone interest in helping Gauthier reach his goal can contact him at [email protected] and he will send out a link to the online voting page.
“He uses this as a forum to share a one paragraph description of an important issue and how a person with a disability has achieved their goal,” states a press release. “Many people credit Paul with making a huge difference in their lives. Paul has worked to create a model for providing personal support services to people with disabilities. This mode allows these individuals to set personal goals and use services to achieve them, whether they are related to employment, community engagement or family life. The model is called Choices in Support for Independent Living (CSIL) and it emphasizes the individual in their unique social setting rather than limitations of the body.”
For more information, or to see a video of Gauthier, visit www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/paul-gauthier-new-westminster-bc/.
