Inspired Winter Paralympian Jean Labonté

Sep 11, 2008

As he battled cancer in 1986 at age 17, Jean Labonté decided illness wouldn’t defeat him. That accomplished, he’s been a member of Canada’s national sledge hockey team since 1996, and team captain for the 2007 to 2008 season. 

The native of Hull (now Gatineau), Quebec is the only player to be selected every year for the Canada national team since his career debut. He won a silver medal at the Nagano 1998 Paralympic Winter Games, a gold medal at the Torino 2006 Winter Games and finished fourth at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He and his teammates are aiming for nothing less than gold at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Ice Sledge Hockey was a natural choice for Labonté because in his childhood, he always wanted to spend his time on the ice.

“For different reasons, it wasn’t possible to play ice hockey when I was young," says Labonté. "I like the concept of a team, to fraternize and celebrate with the team - there is no price for that.”

National Team Veteran Ice Sledge Hockey Player, Jean Labonté. (photo courtesy of Hockey Canada)
In the comfort of his home in Hull, this sports fan is closely following the performances of Team Canada's athletes in Beijing. Having competed in swimming himself, Labonté enjoys watching swimming, and track and field events. He also follows the results of his friends on Canada's men's and women's wheelchair basketball teams.

"I enjoy the sportsmanship that spans the various nationalities,” Labonté says.

If he was a member of the Canadian team in Beijing, Labonté says he would participate in rowing, and if he had to choose only one ticket to cheer for other athletes, he would go to the Water Cube to follow the swimming competitions.

Testing capabilities
What inspires and motivates Labonté most about the Games is testing his capabilities: “I enjoy watching the athletes finish their competition with a smile, despite the pain they endure. This will certainly motivate my training, especially since our season begins in September, at the same time as the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, which will be fresh in my mind,” explains Labonté.