Laurentian student living with polio is being called an inspiration
At the age of three, Koko Blaise was diagnosed with polio.
He said he faced many challenges back home over the years, including not having access to a wheelchair.
“I got paralyzed when I was three years old. I heard of this story from my Mom. She taught me how to walk with a stick on my legs. I got my first wheelchair when I got to university, when I was a freshmen, to where I sit in a wheelchair to enjoy how a wheelchair can help a disabled person,” Blaise said.
One of the reasons why he chose to move to Sudbury was because it’s a bilingual city and to continue his education, Blaise told CTV News.
Blaise is currently studying biochemistry at Laurentian University (LU), and says he is hoping to work in the medical field once he graduates.
Blaise decided to try out para-rowing at LU.
“It’s amazing, get up early in the morning, come in here be active and see that this program can help a person, and also to improve my life,” Blaise said.
Thomas Merritt, the parasports rowing head coach, said Blaise has been a great addition to the team.
“It’s been fantastic to have him on the team. He comes into rowing as a novice rower but he has literally decades of experience in sports,” said Merritt.Thomas Merritt, the parasports rowing head coach, said Blaise has been a great addition to the team. (Supplied by Thomas Merritt)“We set him up, we go through the basics of the stroke and then we transition onto a boat back in June. So, it’s been a lot of fun just to make that transition with an athlete… Anytime you get an athlete on the water for the first time there’s that excitement of this is the first time that we’re able to do that.”
A few years ago, Blaise decided to become an advocate for people with disabilities.
Over the course of five years, Blaise was able to host many initiatives to help purchase over a hundred wheelchairs for others living with disabilities back home in Africa.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.