Team Canada’s sitting volleyball team training in Edmonton ahead of world championship

Team Canada’s sitting volleyball team is training in Edmonton for their first qualifier tournament in Bosnia next month.

“We’re excited, we’re stoked, we’re feeling really powerful going into the world championships,” said team captain Danielle Ellis.

“It’s huge, I mean this is our first opportunity to qualify for the Paralympics in Paris in 2024, that’s what our goal is, and our end game, so we are going in and we’re ready for a medal.”

The first-place finishers at the world championship automatically qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games.

“This tournament is going to be huge for us, getting a lot of competition in and Worlds also allows us to get more points for our team and improve our world ranking,” said player Sarah Melenka.

Team Canada currently ranks sixth in the world. The women’s team consists of mainly returning Tokyo Paralympic athletes – where the team finished fourth – with a few additions.

Sitting volleyball is an adapted game giving those with physical disabilities or impairments a chance to play volleyball.

It’s a sport Ellis – who’s from White Rock, B.C. – wishes she knew about sooner.

“I didn’t learn about adaptive sports until I was 16 years old,” she said.

Team Canada’s sitting volleyball teams in Edmonton on Oct. 16, 2022. (Credit: CityNews/Laura Krause)

Ellis lost her right leg to cancer as a newborn, but grew up in an active household, always pushing herself to her limit.

“My parents never treated me as disabled, so I just had to go out there and work as hard as the able-bodied kids, if not a little harder, to be able to make those teams,” said Ellis.

Melenka, from Vegreville, Alta., thought she’d never play volleyball again after losing 30 per cent of the muscle in her right calf. Although doctors were able to save her leg from being amputated, she doesn’t have the strength she once had to play standing volleyball.

“I have a physical disability, but nobody can see it if I’m wearing pants or something,” said Melenka. “Being able to find 12 or 14 other girls that are the exact same kind of person as you because you have all gone through life-changing hurdles that have completely led you in a different direction than what you were hoping for, so it’s a really cool environment to be in.”

Both Ellis and Melenka hope adaptive sports for those with physical disabilities become more known.

“There’s always a team, a sport, there’s something for everyone out there. I never knew about this as a kid, I never expected to be in the Paralympics playing for Team Canada, but here I am,” said Ellis.

“This is just one Paralympic team in the Paralympics,” added Melenka. “There is swimming, rugby, basketball, there are so many teams and everyone has gone through something similar to you and we’ve all reached over and climbed the mountain.”

The 2022 WPV World Championships runs from Nov. 4-11.

In the meantime the team is training at the Edmonton Volleyball Pickleball Centre.