by Christine Selinger and Christine Bain

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of our past Paracanoe teammate, Chris Pearson. Words cannot adequately explain the impact Chris had on the Paracanoe program both nationally and internationally. Chris first stated paddling in 2009 at the World Championships in Dartmouth when Paracanoe made its debut. In Chris’s memory we would each like to share a memory and a few words about Chris and invite you to do the same.

Christine Selinger was Chris’s K2 partner at the 2009 World Championships –
“I remember our first day of K2 practice: I had convinced Chris to try and make the National Team with me because they needed a mixed TA/A K2 boat, and he was the only male of A classification that I could convince to come try with me.  He showed up to practice and told me that he was scared of swimming but I think we spent most of the next 2 hours swimming in Wascana Lake! Chris is remembered as being easy going and incredibly personable.  He worked tirelessly with friends and fellow athletes from Wascana to design adaptive seating and paddling techniques and was always willing to share with other sport organizations and athletes from around the world. “

Christine Bain was the Paracanoe Team Manager during Chris’s time on the team –
“Chris taught us a new meaning of the word determination. He had a fight inside of him that enabled him to rise above challenges and inspire other while doing so. He was the first ‘A’ classified man to paddle the V1 in International competition at the World Championships in Poznan in 2010 and made a true mark on the water each time he raced. Chris was a joy to have on the team and his teammates and coaches remember him as a dear friend.”