Sault athlete to compete on the world stage again

Sault Ste. Marie's Logan Hunter is getting in the last bit of training, before he heads across the pond to represent Canada.

Athlete Logan Hunter is headed to Germany later this month to compete in the World Dwarf Games for the second time. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)Hunter has dwarfism and will soon be competing at the 8th World Dwarf Games held in Cologne, Germany.

It will be the second time the 20-year-old will compete with a maple leaf on his chest, having taken part in the 2017 games held in Guelph, Ont.

As a 15-year-old competing in the junior division, he earned 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals in floor hockey, soccer, badminton and volleyball.

"I think it didn't mean as much to me when I was younger,” said Hunter.

“I didn't really know what it meant because I was so young. But now as I'm growing up it's starting to kick in, I'm like, 'wow this is something special.’"

With a smile on his face, he gathers his breath and listed the many sports plans to compete in this year to CTV News.

"I'm competing in basketball, volleyball, soccer, archery, table tennis, bocce, badminton and track and field," he said.

Hunter is among 46 Canadian athletes heading to Germany for the games.

The World Dwarf Games (WDG) are schedule to run from July 28 to Aug. 5.

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Co-Chef De Mission for Team Canada, Brit Theis said she thinks the games are starting to take off.

Her and Co-Chef De Mission Zoe Meil expected 25 athletes to trek across the globe for the event – Theis said they were "shocked" with the 46 participants.

Still, they aren't as well known as the Special Olympics or Paralympics and that means the sponsorship dollars aren't there.

"Many of our athletes have to pay their own way – travel, and accommodations."

The Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada (DAAC), for which Theis is a Board Member, is looking to increase public knowledge of the competition to help pay those costs.

DAAC officials said that they also believe it will make the games more accessible for little people across the country.

"To play on a level playing field and to build friendships with other people with dwarfism around the world is, its just amazing," said Theis.

Theis recalled with a smile when she first competed at the WDG, after competing much of her life against people "a foot, or a foot-and-a-half taller."

"You may be pretty good playing against people without dwarfism, but when its a level playing field you can realize how goof you really are,” she said.

“(The athletes) will probably gain a lot of confidence from that."

Hunter told CTV News he is excited to meet up and compete alongside his friends with dwarfism, and is equally glad he has plenty of friends back in the Sault cheering him on.

Nick Keenan works at the gym where Hunter trains and the two go way back, Keenan said.

"We went to the same elementary school,” he said.

“He's the same age as my brother and we always played sports together. I've known him like my whole entire life."

Between sets of his workout Hunter has other friends come up to him, asking when he leaves and wishing him luck.

"It's just awesome that we get to watch him go showcase his talents on the world stage," said Keenan.

Hunter "grew up with sports,” and says he is glad he found the WDG.

"Being raised in Sault Ste. Marie obviously helped me become a sports person,” Hunter said.

“It's all over the city, it's all over our province."