Garrett Riley Heading to Beijing for Canada's Para Hockey Team

Friday, 25 February 2022 15:24

Local Para hockey star, Garrett Riley is hoping to bring home the gold for Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics.

WOODSTOCK - The Canadian men's Para hockey team is heading to Beijing China for the 2022 Paralympics which start on March 4th.

One of the newcomers to the team this year is forward Garrett Riley. Riley is originally from Brantford but has strong ties to Oxford County. His mom lives in Princeton and he just recently bought an apartment in Woodstock.

Riley played hockey growing up, until he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Osteosarcomas, which is the same form of bone cancer that Terry Fox had. He explains his journey into finding Para Hockey.

"I was diagnosed at 15, as soon as I heard the news, my first question, was can I play hockey again, I was told no but after I got all my treatments and surgeries were all done for the that time, I unfortunately had to step back from stand up hockey, took a couple of years off and then I found sledge hockey and I never looked back after that."

Riley first joined Team Canada for the World Championships in 2019 where Canada won silver. He missed out on the Worlds in 2020, which was cancelled due to the pandemic and then had to miss the 2021 Worlds after breaking his leg.

Riley says his recovery is coming along nicely.

"It has been a grind but, I was lucky enough to be able to come out to Calgary a few weeks in advance before the team and was able to get some much needed rehab, conditioning and ice time. I've been gone from home for awhile but obviously it has been worth it."

When Heart FM interviewed Riley he was in Vancouver on a layover waiting to board a flight with the the team to Beijing. Riley explains the mood of the team right now.

"We have actually been based in Calgary for a month all together, kind of in our own little bubble. Everyone is very excited, we are just rearing to get over there and play some games."

Canada has not won a gold medal at the Paralympics in what was formerly called sledge hockey since 2006. Riley has promised to stop by the Heart FM studios when the games are done and he is hoping to bring a gold medal with him.

You can listen to the full interview below: