North Bay wheelchair tennis player heading to Paralympics
It’s been a long journey for Robert Shaw, but come Aug. 28, he will be representing Canada at his first Paralympics in Tokyo.
Born and raised in North Bay, the 31-year-old suffered a spinal injury in a diving accident 10 years ago, leaving him in a wheelchair.
Shaw hasn’t let his injury stop him from playing tennis. He took up wheelchair tennis as a coach before his injury, and now he’s a professional player.
“I had a diving accident in my own family pool that caused me to have a spinal cord injury -- I have a C5, C6 level, which is why I have paralysis in my arms and my hands, as well as in my legs and my core,” said Shaw.
“I compete in the quad divisions, meaning I have impairment to at least three or four limbs.”
Shaw isn’t ranked amongst the top four players heading into the games, but after winning gold at the 2019 Para Pan American Games in Peru, he told CTV News he has what it takes to medal in Tokyo.
“I have beaten the world No. 2, world No. 4, 5 and 6, so there’s no reason why I can’t compete there with the top guys -- there’s no reason why I can’t medal,” he said.
“I’ll have to perform extremely well, as everyone has to do at the Olympics and Paralympics.”
The games were originally supposed to happen last summer, but due to COVID-19, things were put on hold until 2021. Now with less than a month until opening ceremonies, Shaw is excited to get going.
“I’m super excited -- it’s my first Paralympic Games," he said. "I competed in Lima in 2019, so that was my first multi-sport Games, but this is on a whole other level. So, super excited to get over there and put into competition what we do in training.”
“We feel ready, we’re pretty anxious as a team to get there and just try to compete and play well. There’s a lot of logistical headaches that are incorporated into these Paralympics because of COVID,” added Shaw.
Growing up, Shaw coached and played at the local tennis club in North Bay.
CTV News spoke with a friend and former colleague of Shaw’s who said the tennis club and city is rooting for him.
“I think he knows that everyone is rooting for him -- not just at the club, but he has family connections through the whole city,” said Bobby Ray.
“So maybe more than he knows, there are people thinking about him and looking forward to cheering him on.”
If it weren’t for tennis in North Bay, Shaw says he doesn’t know where the game would’ve taken him.
“I never really trained anywhere else," he said. "Never really competed anywhere else other than northern Ontario so, all the skills I have now, the foundation was built through being a player in North Bay, which is kinda cool.”
Shaw is set to leave for Tokyo the third week of August. Once arriving he has a week of training before his first match Aug. 28.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.