Challenges, but no obstacles for this remarkable para-athlete

Like it or not, our children’s heroes often become their role models, so it’s important, in an age of vapid, entitled, celebrity influences, that we go out of our ways to be an example, and to expose them to people truly worth admiring.

Growing up, my hero was Terry Fox, and I’ve loved watching my daughter learn about him too, and be inspired by his incredible strength, courage, and determination. Now that she’s old enough to understand, I’m constantly searching for people like him, so she knows he wasn’t an anomaly; that there are other adults, and even kids, defying the odds daily.

I cannot wait to show my daughter this video. Meet Liam Hickey, a young man who was born without a femur in his leg and has become a rising wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey star with the possibility of playing for Team Canada someday.

Though he focuses mostly on basketball and hockey these days, Liam has played multiple sports throughout his life, and even now, he doesn’t limit himself, making time for dirt-bike riding, baseball, fishing, and even golf.

With this multi-sport background, an amazing, supportive dad (who straps into a sledge or a wheelchair to play with his son), and a can-do attitude, Hickey is more than just going after his dreams; he’s made them a reality. And that is more proof for my child and yours that even the biggest challenges can be overcome with hard work and perseverance. Heroism is earned, not given.