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7 months ago
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Former hockey star Jacob Wasserman has qualified for the Paralympic Games - six years after being left paralyzed from the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
Wasserman, who survived the 2018 accident which killed 16 Broncos players and staff, is heading to Paris later this year after qualifying in the PR1 men's single category of rowing.
The Canadian has completed an inspirational comeback after being left paralyzed from the navel down following the tragic bus crash, having also claimed gold in the Men's PR1 single category of the 2023 National Para Rowing Championship.
He also tried his hand at sledge hockey back in October, but told Shane Clausing of 980 CJME that 'it was never something that was for me. Hockey was kind of before I was injured.'
A friend then suggested that he turned his attention to rowing, and less than a year later Wasserman is set to become a Paralympian in that sport.
Jacob Wasserman has qualified for the Paralympic Games - six years after being left paralyzed from the Humboldt Broncos bus crash
Wasserman survived the fatal 2018 accident, which killed 16 Broncos players and staff
The team were on their way to a playoff game in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Wasserman, who was left paralyzed from the navel down, has completed an inspirational comeback as a rower
The ex-goaltender was one of the survivors of the Broncos bus crash in April 2018, when the team's coach was struck by a semi-trailer truck near Armley, Saskatchewan, while on their way to a playoff game in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
The other driver involved failed to come to a halt at a flashing stop sign at the intersection of a highway before colliding with the bus, killing 16 people and leaving 12 others injured along with Wasserman. It was the deadliest road accident in Canada for over 20 years.
In July of that year, 29-year-old Jaskirat Singh Sidhu - the driver of the truck - was charged with 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury.
Sidhu pleaded guilty to the charges in early 2019 and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Wasserman received the SJHL Rookie of the Year award as a Humboldt player before his hockey career came to an end after the bus crash.
Speaking in October, he opened up on his aspirations of making it to this year's Paralympics. 'That's the dream,' he said. 'That's the goal for sure. L.A. 2028 is where we're looking to.
'We'll see (about Paris in 2024) I guess. There's a chance, but the big goal is for sure L.A.'
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