The teenager who found his heart as a para-athlete

A St. John's teenager who was born without a femur in his right leg is excelling at not one but two sports, finding his passion on both the ice and the basketball court.

"It was a hard part of my life, accepting that I could never play ice hockey because I could never skate," said Liam Hickey, 14.

But Hickey is competing for Team Canada spots in not only sledge hockey, but wheelchair basketball.

Surgery at four years of age left Hickey with a bendable knee and an artificial lower leg. Since then, he has applied himself to sports — something his father, Todd Hickey, says has been key to his son's development.

"He really needed sports, he really needed competition," said Todd Hickey, who — although able-bodied — straps himself into a wheelchair or sled to play along with his son, as well as to serve as coach.

"When he was a kid, he always wanted to be playing around with his buddies, and it was hard at the beginning because he wasn't really fitting in with the other kids."

Now competing for spots in two national teams, Liam Hickey said his experience with sports has been fulfilling.

"Don't let anything stop you," he said. "Anything's possible if you really want to do it, so go for it."

Click on the video above to see Zach Goudie's report.