“I was told I would never walk again. I didn’t listen.” Chris Rice, determination and community in Para sport.

When we initially spoke to Chris back in 2024, he had started his seated shot put sporting career following an accident that resulted in paralysis of his lower body back in 2012.  

“I dove into a swimming pool and landed straight on the top my head, I nearly drowned that day. That resulted in me having paralysis from the chest down.   

“At the time I was told that I would never regain anything below my chest, let alone walk again. I didn't listen and I spent five months in a rehab hospital and basically eight years going to physiotherapy three days a week, three hours at a time. 

On the fifth anniversary of my injury, I was able to get up and dance with my best friend on her wedding day. That was one of the best days of my life.”

“I didn't have the opportunity to get involved in sports as a child, so it was tough trying to get started as a teenager. I rode my bicycle constantly and played a little bit of soccer in high school but I only really started looking at sport as an outlet after my injury. 

Community was ultimately Chris’s route into Para sport, meeting his coach at a local mentoring programme in Nova Scotia, Canada.  

“I run a peer support program for spinal cord injury (SCI) in Nova Scotia, so I provide peer support in individual and group settings to people living with SCI throughout the province. 

“That's how I met my coach Jodi, she was running a para sport event in Halifax. 

“I attended to introduce some clients to sport after their injury and it turns out I was the one to pick it up.

It was this sense of community that continued to engage Chris when he attended his first GAPS camp in 2024, hosted in Mauritius.  

“During the first athlete voice session, we were working on our personal stories. At the end of that session, I saw someone sitting off to the side crying. I went over and said 'Hey, I'm Chris. I'm here if you want to chat, but we don't have to if you don't want to.’  

“That sparked a really powerful friendship throughout the whole camp. And these conversations continued and would go on for hours.” 

Throughout the training provided at the camp, Chris’s relationships with his fellow athletes developed into something more meaningful. But he remembers the sense of community truly solidifying toward the end.

“At the end, when we did the athlete voice session, we had multiple athletes sharing things that I don't think they'd ever told anyone before. We had people speaking at the front of the room crying. That made everyone else cry. 

“There were some incredibly powerful testimonials that were given and you could tell that people really gained a family at that event.” 

Although more recently Chris has not been able to compete due to injury, his attitude and relationship with sport is still an important part of his mindset.  

“It's unfortunate [his injury], but sport, it's all about balance, right? And I love sport and the people I meet, it's an incredible energy and camaraderie. I find Para sport special in that way too, all the athletes support each other so much.  

“It’s like a community.”

Outside of sport, Chris volunteers at a fire department in Nova Scotia, helping to run the department. During the 2025 wildfire season, Chris played a crucial role in the response.

“We had a dry lightning alert. 20 minutes later, we had a smoke sighting call. It was out in the middle of the woods. The closest we could get was about three and a half kilometres away from it.

“And we could see the plumes coming up, but there was nothing we could do. And we figured, okay, we'll be on this fire for a couple of days. And then it just exploded and took off like you wouldn't believe. 

“My role was the Accountability Officer. So, I would supervise every volunteer firefighter on scene, maintaining radio communication. I was doing that from between 7 a.m. to midnight every day. And anytime a crew would retask, need fuel, anything, I was keeping track of them and coordinating those actions. 

“There were about 70-90 volunteer firefighters on the scene every day.”

Going forward, Chris wants to explore philanthropic pursuits, helping to develop sports programmes for those with potential, inspired by his experience at GAPS. 

“My ultimate dream is to start a charitable foundation of some kind, whether that's providing sporting equipment to underprivileged countries or other countries in the Commonwealth where there are athletes in need.  

“So looking at that, the logistics of that, and then there's also some projects at home that I'd like. I've always wanted to start a shelter supporting survivors of intimate partner violence. 

“It's been a passion of mine for many years. So, I'm just trying to balance and figure out what is the most realistic and where to focus my efforts.”

Through its network of training camps and partnerships, the GAPS programme is strengthening Para sport systems across the Commonwealth. By supporting athletes and coaches from developing and emerging nations, it expands opportunities across a wider range of Para disciplines, improves performance pathways and contributes to greater diversity at major international events. Since 2018, over 700 athletes and coaches have taken part in GAPS camps.

Watch Chris's journey here...