Canadian National Wheelchair Rugby Team

DAVID  WILLSIE

Co-Captain, Canadian National
Wheelchair Rugby Team

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 David Willsie

 Born:  London, ON  Classification:   "2.0"
 Residence:   Belmont, ON  Started playing in:   1995
 Birth Date:  March 23, 1968  Nat. Team member since:   1997
 Height:  5' 8"  Handedness:  Right-handed
 Weight:  155 lbs  Coaches:  Harry deBoer, Joseph Soares,
 Benoit Labrecque
 Languages:  English  Occupation:  Estimator
 Hobbies:  Public Speaking, Hockey,
 Baseball, and Basketball		  Clubs:   Great Lakes Thunder,
 Ontario Provincial Team

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
  • Selected as the Most Valuable Player at the Canadian National Championships in 2000, David is a proud member of the National Wheelchair Rugby Team which recently competed at the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia.  He was chosen by his teammates bHe was selected by his teammates to be Co-Captain, along with Garett Hickling, of the Canadian National Team at a training camp in 2001.

  • David was injured in 1995 during a recreational tournament hockey game when he was checked head first into the boards.  Always an athlete, David was involved in several sports prior to his injury, including playing semi-pro baseball, winning city championships in cross country running, and playing with his school hockey team in the OFSSA.  David enjoys the intense competition of wheelchair rugby, which brings back memories of his hockey experiences.

  • David has a great sense of humour and a positive attitude, but more than anything else he likes to win.  On trips he is often known as the team minstrel, singing selections from a vast pop repertoire.  David's fierce work ethic and natural love of the sport are an inspiration to his teammates.

 COMPETITIVE HIGHLIGHTS:
 YEAR:   COMPETITION:  LOCATION:  RESULTS / AWARDS: 
 2001  Columbus Collision  Columbus, OH  1st, Best 2.0–2.5
 2001  Canadian National Championships  Saskatoon, SK  2nd, Best 2.0
 2001  Vancouver Invitational  Vancouver, BC  5th, Best 2.0
 2000  Paralympic Games  Sydney, AUS  4th
 2000  Canadian National Championships  Montréal, QC  2nd, Overall MVP
 2000  Québec Provincial Championships  Montréal, QC  1st
 2000  Columbus Collision  Columbus, OH, USA  2nd, Overall MVP
 1999  Wright State Open  Dayton, OH, USA  1st, Best 2.0, MVP
 1999  Québec Provincial Championships  Montréal, QC  1st
 1999  Canadian National Championships  Saskatoon, SK  3rd
 1998  World Championships  Toronto, ON  3rd

Athlete Profile Gallery

Article on Dave Willsie - July 2000 - London Free Press


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