Wheelchair Relay - Canadian paraplegic Association

One of the first contacts I made here in Toronto was the Canadian Paraplegic Association who have helped me find accommodation and care whilst here. In return I offered my services if ever they needed a singer for any event or function. They were very quick to book me and my first gig for them which was on the weekend singing the Canadian national anthem, O Canada, to launch their annual wheelchair relay race.

This was very exciting but also very nerve racking. I have sung the Australian national anthem so many times that I often sing it in my sleep, but singing another country's anthem brings a whole new different type of pressure. You can't sing an anthem wrong! If you do, you'll never be asked to sing it again.

So over the last couple of weeks I have been busy learning the lyrics which were actually quite easy. No girt by seas here! It is quite a simple song as well, and even though I know a lot of people don't like our Australian national anthem, the anthem here doesn't have a nice big ending like ours does. But I sang all the right words and hit the right notes and from all feedback people felt very patriotic and ready to tackle the course.

As always on request by me, Mel gave her usual critique of my performance and commented that although she thought I sang well, the Anthem is not one that is moving but rather a simple melody that you would commonly here as a church hymn, only 10 times shorter. Mel said as I was singing she was looking around at the Canadians and some were very patriotic and sang along with their heads held high, visibly proud of their heritage and others talked all the way through it. Like I said earlier, it does not have a big ending and it kind of leaves you wanting more.

The wheelchair relay took place at Yorkdale shopping mall in the car park at the back. They had marked out a 200 m track in which teams of eight raced around full tilt in wheelchairs to hopefully win the trophy and bragging rights at the end of the day. But the main reason why they have this event is to raise funds and awareness about spinal cord injury.

Mel walked around being photographer as usual. In fact she was approached by one of the organisers to have copies of her photos. I caught Mel constantly glancing at the Mall in between taking her photos and I could tell that she really came for the shopping afterwards. Yorkdale Mall is one of the biggest in Toronto other than Downtown, but is more of your high end.

Workers from CPA as well as local organisations put teams together consisting of both able-bodied and disabled people, and boy did some of these teams get competitive. One team that has won the last four years in a row is entirely made up of wheelchair sprinters, basketballers and skiers. They are so fast and take great pride in being first over the line.

I was still on stage while all the usual pleasantries were completed before the relay began and actually had to participate in the warm up. Now I am not so sure you have ever witnessed a quad trying to do warm ups but Mel said I looked like a very awkward Village person trying to reenact the Y.M.C.A. but I will brag that most of the other quads started exercising because I was.

It is a real community and family event. With a barbecue lunch, massage tents, show bags, dress up themes and other entertainment. Even the local fire brigade turned out, so we sidled up beside the big red firetruck and had a few photos with your fellow Torontarian comrades Dad. One of the fireman was a charmer and had his eye close on Mel, he put the helmet on her and asked her to sit in the front seat for a photo. Now Mel is not the most coordinated of people and the helmet being way too big and heavy kept falling down in front of her face causing her to almost slip as she was trying to get in. But with those long legs of hers it was hardly even a step to get in. And I made sure I watched the fireman very closely as he helped her down! I then did my usual compare notes with the fireies between canada and Australia. The biggest difference being that they work two 24 hour shifts a week, and are much more closely linked with the other emergency services.

One of the other artists was a Cirque/gymnastics type of performance which was very entertaining.

There were some pretty cool racing wheelchairs on display that I was pretty keen to get into and try out. Mel thought they were great even for her as you get to lie down and ride. More her kind of exercise!

This was a great event and I can promise you that when I get back to Australia Mel and I will be organising one of these. Mel and I talked about how great it would be to see family members involved. We can just imagine watching Mel's brother John trying to push this wheelchair with his big ears flapping, Rick and Pip racing each other and Aunty Kym trying not to get her beautiful silk top dirty as she pushes along the track. And Nan don't think your excluded in this, if you went jungle surfing then you are so involved in this relay challenge! So make sure you start working out your arms and pumping those biceps because at the end of this relay there were some very sore bodies.

Some had the right idea and went in their electric chairs. Just charge up the batteries and stick it into top gear! This is Kevin Rogers, our resource officer, who normally pushes his manual but had a broken hip and still competed in his motor chair.   

It was a great day and we look forward to replicating it in Australia. 

Once the event was over, there was a mad rush of all the women heading to the Mall. Mel thought there were sales on so she asked someone who seemed to be very desperate to get inside that shopping complex, but it turns out that the beeline was Tiffany's. We decided to go along and see what all the fuss was about (Mel actually doesn't like Tiffany jewelry...phew! Just the Audrey Hepburn Connection) and watched someone buy their partner a $48,000 ring.  We wondered through the rest of the Mall but soon left as Burberry, Prada, and Louis Vuitton were all out of our price range.