The 34-year-old from Charlottetown said it is rewarding to give back to the sport that he enjoys so much. He said it’s great to see male and female athletes with – and without – disabilities competing together.
New Brunswick’s Brandon Gillis takes a shot during a Canada Games wheelchair basketball game with Newfoundland and Labrador Feb. 20 at UPEI. - Jason Malloy/SaltWire Network“I never knew of the sport until my friend, Mara, asked me to join and then we were on a P.E.I. team and she asked me to join the team that I’m on right now,” said Trainor, who is known for setting good screens to allow teammates to get open for shots.
She said it is great to be able to share the experience with Trainor. The two have been friends since kindergarten.“It’s a massive learning curve,” he said, noting how he remembers trying to get the hang of dribbling the ball while manoeuvring the wheelchair. “You slowly get the hang of it.”Indian River's Brandon Gillis plus Stratford residents Mara Duncan and Juliet Trainor are playing for New Brunswick in the wheelchair basketball competition during the Canada Games.
“In my opinion, it makes every player that is playing even more valuable and more important,” he said. “So, we have to be doing everything we can to be setting them up for the future.”