The New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame recently had the honour of speaking with Desiree Isaac Pictou (DIP), named to the Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Team. Desiree, originally from Eel River Bar, has quickly risen through the ranks in the sport, despite her relatively recent introduction to wheelchair basketball.
Just last week, she traveled to Germany with her team as part of their final preparations for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris. In this interview, Desiree shares her journey to the Paralympic team, her experiences training and competing internationally, and her thoughts on the importance of inclusion in sports.
New Brunswick Sports Hall Fame: When were you named to the Olympic team and and how did that? How did that feel?
Desiree Isaac Pictou: I was named to the Paralympic team last month, and I was just super honored to be selected.
NBSHF: Were you expecting it or was it a surprise?
DIP: I guess it's a little bit of a surprise. I've been training with these women since Para Pan Am games in Santiago, Chile in November and I was able to tag along to the qualifiers in Osaka, Japan. However, I still wasn't 100% sure if I was going to be selected as I’m really new to this sport and I haven't been playing wheelchair basketball for that long. But yeah, super honored.
NBSHF: It must have been exciting to travel to Japan and other places.
Yeah, I was super excited. It's kind of the first time I've ever traveled internationally, joining wheelchair basketball. So it's been an incredible experience.
NBSHF: You're from Eel River Bar. That community is known for its athleticism, especially in hockey. Do you feel your passion for sports comes from that community's history?
DIP: Oh yeah for sure, growing up I got to witness a lot of my community members in sports, whether that be at the New Brunswick indigenous summer games or local club hockey and baseball teams, and a lot of our members thrive in these sports and I definitely looked up to a lot of them growing up. These older athletes that were kind of like role models to me.
NBSHF: Was there anyone in particular you looked up to?
DIP: I can’t pinpoint just one person. There were so many cousins and friends who played a role.
NBSHF: And is that when you began playing basketball? DIP: I began playing stand up basketball whenever I was in elementary school and I played all throughout middle school and high school.
NBSHF: What was it like adapting to to the wheelchair basketball?
DIP: It was definitely different. There's a lot of aspects of the sports that are extremely similar and very little that is different. And I thought that was a little bit of a challenge… it's just incorporating that wheelchair and not being able to move your body in the exact same way as you used to be able to. That's the challenge.
There's some aspects, defensively and offensively, that change a little bit since the chairs are a lot wider than a normal human body. Overall the sport is pretty similar though.
NBSHF: How has it been training for the paralympic Games?
DIP: We’ve been trying to get together as much as possible to centralized and get much together as a team. So that's what my summer and their summer has been looking lately.
NBSHF: You are an advocate for inclusion in sport. From your point of view, why is inclusion in sport important?
DIP: I think inclusion in sports is important because it gives people that are maybe minority in sport someone to they have someone to look up to. So you're opening doors for more diverse people to enter sports and opportunities; you're giving the younger generation someone to look up to, and say ‘oh, I can, do that too.”
NBSHF: Lastly, what advice would you give to a young New Brunswicker considering taking sports more seriously?
DIP: It’s important to have determination and get the necessary reps in. Having a strong support system, like a mentor, coach, or family member, is also crucial. I owe my achievements to the support system I had, and I think it’s something everyone should have if they want to reach the next level.
NBSHF: Desiree, thank you for talking to the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.
DIP: You’re welcome. Thanks for chatting with me.
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