Nathan DeWitt is in London, preparing to compete at the 2012 Paralympic Games.
DeWitt, 21, will be racing in two wheelchair races, the 200m sprint on Sept. 4 and 100m on Sept. 8.
A first-year business student at BCIT, DeWitt has been competing in wheelchair athletics for five years.
“I just want to race,” he said. “I know my strengths and my weaknesses. I just want to do the best that I can.”
Diagnosed with spastic deplegia cerebral palsy just three days after he was born, DeWitt has had his training interrupted in the past few years, lowering his goals for London.
“It might sound a little strange, but as thrilled as I am to be able to go and represent Canada, I’m most proud of actually getting there after being in and out of the hospital the last couple of years and missing the nationals,” he said. “A year ago, I didn’t think I could get myself to the Paralympics level. I wanted to, but didn’t know if I could.”