Red Deer Reapers

We couldn't keep this young man off the court at the Reapers Try-It event at William Watson Lodge. Despite his recent injury from a motor vehicle accident, his chair skills on the court were impressive. These types of events not only provide opportunities for physically disabled people to try the sport, they allow non-disabled people to experience the thrill as well. Gage and his little brother Reid, who has a physical disability, had a chance to rip up the court as brothers playing a sport as equals. Family participation in the sport, whether on or off the court, is one thing that makes this sport viable and successful.

The Elkwood Amphitheatre was a scenic wheel through the forest from William Watson Lodge, where the Reapers held a Wheelchair Rugby Try-It event on July 11th and 12th. Members of the Club took in a few shows that were very entertaining and educational. For a banker and a biologist, these two rocked the stage and captured the attention of the crowd. They engaged the audience by incorporating the participation of kids in their performance. We all know a lot more now about native, non-native, and invasive plant species.

Meet the newest and youngest addition to the Reapers. Thunderbolt Theo has been out to several practices and it sure showed at the July William Watson Lodge Try-It event. He and Brent diced up the court as they scored goal after goal against the newbies and he defended the try-line with a steel door. At only 12, Thunderbolt Theo is showing signs of becoming the next Austin MacLellan.

We explored some challenging unpaved trails at William Watson Lodge durining the July Try-It event as well. There was a lot more signs of bears than on the paved, well-used trails. Did you know that adult male grizzly bears are the primary source of danger for young cubs. To bring a female back into breeding condition, large males will actively hunt and kill cubs that are not their own. Because these large males are typically highly wary of humans and avoid noisy, crowded, or heavily trafficked areas, female bears with cubs have evolved an ingenious risk-tradeoff. Mothers with cubs frequently cross or linger near roads, human settlements, and active ecotourism zones to avoid the deeper wilderness where males roam freely.

Members of the Reapers checked out some of the endless paved trails that surround William Watson Lodge during their spare time at the Try-It Event, July 11th and 12th. Not as flat as Saskatchewan but manageable. Bears were a concern so we left the bear spray with the slowest wheeler.

This future lawyer or politician should be nicknamed “The Flash”. You could barely get a glimpse of him flying by at the William Watson Lodge Try-It event last weekend. His power chair skills are phenomenal. On the court he appeared to think he was on the opposite team that he was actually on. When approached he said, “I know which team I am on - I’m just messin with them” He’s got the game figured out; it’s a mental game as much as a physical one. After this interview he scored several goals.