Vanessa Racine

Impairment information

Type of Impairment

Limb deficiency

Further personal information

Residence

Canada

Languages

English, French

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?

She began playing para-ice hockey in 2008 at age 17 in Quebec, Canada.

Why this sport?

"I wanted to play hockey forever, but unfortunately, my physical condition prevented me. In 2008, I decided I'd had enough and wanted to do sports. I started to searched on the internet and I came across sledge hockey. The only team in Quebec was right next door to me. I wrote to the coach and she invited me to try early in the season."

Club / Team

Les Quebecoises: Canada

Name of coach

Tara Chisholm [national]

Preferred position / style / stance / technique

Defence

General interest

Nicknames

Vance (Facebook profile, 08 Nov 2016)

Hobbies

Cycling. (Canadian Women's Sledge Hockey Facebook page, 11 Oct 2016)

Hero / Idol

Canadian para-ice hockey player Benoit St-Amand. (Women's Sledge Hockey of Canada YouTube channel, 19 Oct 2014)

Sporting philosophy / motto

"It's not about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you get hit and keep moving forward." (Women's Sledge Hockey of Canada YouTube channel, 19 Oct 2014)

Impairment

At 16 months old she was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1, a condition that causes tumours to grow along the nervous system. A permanent bone fracture was also found in her left leg. After undergoing nine surgeries between age eight and 16, she decided to have the limb amputated below the knee in August 2014. (vanessaracine.wordpress.com, 16 Oct 2015)

Other information

OCCUPATION
She works with children that have autism. (Canadian Women's Sledge Hockey Facebook page, 11 Oct 2016)