Liam Hickey, Parapan Am silver medallist, gets warm homecoming
Decorated athlete and Parapan Am medallist Liam Hickey arrived home to Newfoundland and Labrador to a celebration of his accomplishments in St. John's on Tuesday.
Easter Seals held a welcome home ceremony for Hickey, who got his start at wheelchair basketball at eight-years-old at the local organization, which provides opportunities for children with physical and/or mental disabilities.
"The games were probably the best experience of my life," Hickey said. "It really opened my eyes to the amount of people who actually follow Para sports and stuff."
You can do anything you want to do- Liam Hickey
Hickey, 17, was part of the Canada Senior Men's Wheelchair Basketball team that placed second at the Parapan Am Games. Team USA got the gold medal.
"It's about mentally preparing going into the game.You don't want to let your emotions to get too high but you want emotion there to play your best. It's all about controlling that.," said Hickey, who was one of the youngest players on the team.
Hickey was born without a femur and has walked his entire life with a prosthetic leg.
"There's no reason why any of you guys here can't do the same thing that I've done," Hickey told a crowd of supporters at Easter Seals.
"You can do anything you want to do."
That message resinated with Jeremy Jones, who wants to follow in Hickey's footsteps.
"It means a lot when Liam is here [he says] a lot of inspirational [sayings] and his smile ... he just lights up a room," Jones said.
Hickey, who also plays sledge hockey, said his goal is to compete in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.