Five Questions With Ryan Van Praet

Ryan Van Praet is a 34-year-old elite paratriathlete from Chatham, Ontario.

He is a graduate of Chatham Collegiate Institute and Western University. Currently, Van Praet competes for the Triathlon Canada High Performance Paratriathlon Team.

Below are Ryan Van Praet’s answers to CKSN’s Five Questions:

1. What is your career sports highlight/top memory?

199 CCI Cougars High School Football Champs, 2004 finishing first Ironman Triathlon, 2012-2013 representing Canada at ITU World Paratriathlon Championships.

2. Who is your favourite professional sports team and athlete?
Montreal Canadiens and Jason Dunkerly (Canadian Track and Field Paralympian)

3. If you could achieve one thing/goal in sports, what would it be?

Gold medal in paratriathlon – Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

4. Who has been your biggest sports influence and why?

Mrs. Zeleski McCauly (CCI Coach) for initially believing in my ability as an endurance athlete and pushing me to step outside my comfort zone and give it a try. Jason Dunkerly (athlete) for showing me what high performance entails and how a visually impaired athlete like myself, can achieve amazing things through hard work.

5. What do you love most about participating in sports?

It teaches you about yourself. It shows you where the word “impossible” falls short. You can constantly re-invent yourself and improve through consistent, diligent, hard work and sacrifice. I love how as a veteran athlete I can help show new athletes what is possible…as we all have to start somewhere. I very much wish to show other visually impaired persons that active and healthy lifestyles are possible, no excuses.

Five Questions is a new weekly feature on the Chatham-Kent Sports Network. We’ll ask athletes from across Chatham-Kent Five Questions, and post their answers every week. If you know an athlete or coach we should question, or you’re an athlete or coach who would like to participate in “Five Questions,” please email us at ian@cksn.ca.