For Immediate Release
July 31, 2018 (Vancouver, BC) British Columbia Wheelchair Basketball Society (BCWBS) would like to congratulate Canadian national team athletes Kady Dandeneau (Pender Island), Bo Hedges (Wonowon) and Tara Llanes (North Vancouver) on their recent selection to Team Canada for the upcoming 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championship Tournament. The event will be hosted in Hamburg, Germany August 16-26, 2018.
Dandeneau comes to the sport of wheelchair basketball, after a successful playing career with the University of Northern BC. Upon her retirement from stand-up basketball, Kady, classified with a minimal disability, was introduced to the sport by legendary women’s wheelchair basketball coach and mentor, Tim Frick, who is based on Pender Island as well. Frick saw the fiery drive in Dandeneau and continued to work with her as she began to solidify herself as a highly-respected player in wheelchair basketball at a national and international level. She will be joined by Tara Llanes (originally from California and now calling BC home) who is considered a rookie in the sport of wheelchair basketball. Llanes was invited to join the national team in 2018 and has begun to make her mark with Team Canada.
Both Llanes and Dandeneau come to wheelchair basketball having played a variety of sports throughout their early years. Llanes, as a competitive BMX and mountain bike athlete and nationally ranked Wheelchair Tennis athlete, and Dandeneau started sport at a young age, playing baseball, before transitioning to the sport of basketball. BC Wheelchair Basketball Society has a long-standing history of developing strong female athletes provincially, who proudly move up to the wheelchair basketball national team and represent Canada on the world stage.
Joining Llanes and Dandeneau on the international stage, from B.C., will be veteran player Bo Hedges. Hedges has been with the Canadian Men’s Team since 1997 when he first played at the World Junior Championships. As current co-captain for Team Canada, Hedges brings a tireless work ethic and strong leadership to the court. This Paralympic Gold Medalist strives for excellence on and off the court and works to mentor younger athletes as a member of the Team BC Royals of the CWBL league. Hedges also works to shape the direction of the sport in BC as chair of the board of directors for BCWBS. As one of the few athletes representing northern BC (Wonowon) Hedges is proud of the sport development that continues to happen in that part of the province, especially with the recent announcement that Fort St John will host the 2020 BC Winter Games.
Also named to Team Canada, as a member of the coaching staff is Simon Cass (Victoria), B.C. Provincial coach. He will be joining the roster of coaches for the Women’s national team.
Link to World Championship Tournament Schedule
About British Columbia Wheelchair Basketball Society
The BC Wheelchair Basketball Society (BCWBS) is the provincial sports’ governing body which provides support to wheelchair basketball programs throughout BC. BCWBS’s mission is to provide experiences that inspire inclusion, participation and excellence through wheelchair basketball. Check out what wheelchair basketball is all about. Click for video
For more information:
Please contact:
Michelle Comeau
BCWBS Communications Manager
Mobile: 403-512-7671 or email: michellercomeau@gmail.com
