Erica was 12 years old when her right leg was amputated at the thigh. “I found out I had cancer and the only way to get rid of the tumour was to remove it. My whole thigh on my right leg was removed.” Then, in order for Erica to still have a functioning knee, doctors re-attached her calf backwards, and her ankle joint became her new knee.
Erica admits that adapting to her new body was a challenge. While her leg was healing, Erica had to literally change the way she thought about her new limb. “I had to train my brain to know my ankle as my knee,” she shares.
After several months of chemotherapy and healing, Erica began physical therapy with a prosthetic lower leg. ”I was always looking forward and thinking about what was next for me.” And it was during a prosthetics clinic that she met a coach who was helping another patient. That coach introduced Erica to the sport of kayaking, and encouraged her to give it a try. And once she did, she was hooked.
“I really like training and the feeling of pushing your body and seeing your improvement,” says Erica, who competed in the 2015 World Championships, an experience she says was eye-opening for her to be around and see other para athletes. “Some people don’t realize that we’re real athletes and really competitive,” she shares. “It’s real sport and a real competition.” Erica represented Canada in Rio at the Paralympic Games for kayaking.
So what’s next for this athlete?
“I’m in school studying kinesiology and I’d like to be a physiotherapist. Being in sports I have a good understanding of the body and how it moves. But also, being in the hospital and going through a lot of physio myself, it was something I watched. I thought their job looked fun, to be able to help people in that way, and something that I could be good at.”
There’s no doubt that wherever Erica ends up, she is sure to make a big impact.