Collin Cameron has booked his ticket to Prince George, B.C. after being named to Canada’s squad for the Para Nordic World Cup Finals.
The event takes place between March 13 and 17.
The Bracebridge native was also chosen for the Para Biathlon World Championships but isn’t able to compete because of a lingering sinus infection.
“It’s been awful,” Cameron says of the injury.
While he’s back to full training now, he explains there was a three-month period where he was having trouble doing much of anything because it was difficult for him to breathe.
Cameron expects to compete in the middle-distance biathlon race and the sprint race is his “big target” for his return to competition.
“I’m certainly hungry for it,” says Cameron.
Coming off a season where he finished as the top cross-country sit-skier in the world, Cameron says he wants to add to his ever-growing trophy cabinet but still has the end goal of qualifying for the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy.
“I know I’m still on a really good trajectory to quality for the Games in 2026,” he says.
John Aalberg, chief of competitions for the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, says the best para-athletes in the world will descend on Prince George for the twin events.
“The Para-Biathlon World Championships and the ensuing Para-Nordic World Cup Finals bring together the world’s best athletes in these disciplines, setting the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable series of events,” he says. “Our teams have worked tirelessly to ensure that the competitions will be a spectacular showcase of Para sports.”
Cameron says with the events at both competitions being available to watch online, it’s another step forward in the accessibility of para-sports.
“I’ve noticed a big shift, even since my first Paralympics in 2018,” he says.
Cameron fondly remembers watching Donovan Bailey claim his title as the World’s fastest man at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He says that’s one of the sporting moments that inspired him.
As para-sports continues to become easier to watch, he hopes he can provide a moment like that for the next generation of athletes.
“I’m 35 now and I’m looking at what life looks like after sport in the next 4 to 6 years,” says Cameron.
With files from Will Peters