PARIS - The Paralympic learning curve was steep, but worth it for Jacob Wassermann.
Less than two years after taking up the sport of para rowing and six years after he survived a bus crash that killed members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, Wassermann raced the B final of men's sculls in Paris.
The 24-year-old from Humboldt, Sask., was the youngest competitor in the international field and finished 10th overall.
Wassermann says he became a Paralympian sooner than expected and that the Los Angeles Paralympic Games in 2028 had been his goal.
The athlete also says he learned a lot watching more experienced rowers that he can use as he prepares for L.A.
Wassermann was paralyzed from the waist down in the bus crash that killed 16 members of the Broncos. He tried adaptive water skiing and para hockey before giving para rowing a try.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2024.
