Sitting in a Giant Skate

Last February, the world tuned in to cheer for Olympic athletes in Pyeongchang. For 16 days, athletes were celebrated in sweeping wide shots and ultra-slow motion replays. But after the closing ceremonies, when the Paralympics began, the cameras stayed off for many. In Saint-Zotique, however, one former student from Léopold-Carrière School watched every sledge hockey match with pride. Francis Lacombe, 20 years old, has been playing sledge hockey for seven years and shares the same dream as many of his peers—to wear Canada’s colors and compete against the world’s best.

Self-Irony as Survival

Born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a condition that affects joint flexibility and movement, Francis entered life with dislocated knees and feet turned the wrong way. With limited mobility, he still grew up in a household that never treated him differently.

“My parents always pushed me toward independence,” he says. “They told me, ‘You can do it. Find a way and do it.’”

At school, he developed a sharp sense of humor to deflect bullying and chose a high school where he could focus on sports and leave those bullies behind.

A Sport That Just Clicked

In 2011, Francis tried wheelchair basketball and competed at the Quebec Games. But his limited knee movement wasn’t ideal for the sport. One online search later, he discovered sledge hockey.

“My first time on the ice, I didn’t even have gear—I was in jeans and a winter coat,” he laughs. “I kept falling over, but I loved it.”

He quickly found success. Today, he plays for Team Québec and has his eyes on Canada’s development team. He knows it won’t be easy—progress comes in micro-steps—but he’s committed to improving.

Few Are Chosen

Twice a week, Francis drives to the Vaudreuil-Dorion train station, commutes to Montreal or Boucherville, and trains on the ice. Off the ice, he’s a full-time orthotics-prosthetics student at Montmorency College, works at Pacini, trains at Centre Multisports, and lives a full life.

“The top athletes are phenomenal,” he says. “I need to gain speed, lose weight, and improve. But progress is slow at that level. The ones who make it—there aren’t many.”

More Heads Than Legs

Not all disabilities are equal on the ice. In sledge hockey, athletes without legs have distinct advantages: better puck handling, sharper turns, and more mobility.

“My heart still pumps blood to legs that don’t help me much,” Francis explains. “Double amputees are lighter and faster.”

He compensates with technique, intelligence, and training.

Stand Up and Keep Going

For Francis, sledge hockey is more than a sport. It’s a platform to speak about perseverance and inclusion.

“We stigmatize difference,” he says. “We need to accept it and stop making it a point of separation.”

Whether in school or in sport, Francis has one rule: keep going.

“We all fall. That’s part of life. But what matters is that you get up. If you can walk, and someone else can’t, what’s your excuse?”

Let’s hope we see Francis in Beijing in four years—perhaps scoring a top-corner winner, sitting in his oversized skate.