Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour one of northern B.C.'s great athletes.
Robert “Bo” Hedges was born in Fort St. John, British Columbia. He grew up on his family's cattle ranch in the small town of Wonowon. He became paraplegic at the age of 13, and during his rehabilitation he witnessed wheelchair basketball for the first time. Soon after, there was a demonstration at his school and the rest, as they say, is history.
Bo began playing competitively in 1996 and won his first gold medal with Team Canada in Toronto at the World Junior Championships in 1997. He is currently the co-captain of Team Canada's senior men's team, of which he has been a member since 2007. Following Team Canada's gold medal victory in London at the 2012 Paralympic Games, Bo and all of Canada's Paralympic athletes were awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal.
It is my privilege to honour a great Canadian athlete. Congratulations again, Bo. You have made us all truly proud.