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9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M arch 3,2022 insidehalton.com TRUSTED for over YEARS Greg Westlake watched and smiled as his para hockey teammates open their packages from Lulu- lemon containing their Team Canada clothing. He saw the joy on their faces trying on all the gear em- blazoned with the maple leaf. It's been 16 years since he opened his first pack- age Paralympic team clothes. And now that he's decided this will be his last Paralympics, it's one of those small moments that he is soaking in. "Everything I do, I'm do- ing for the last time," West- lake says. "I'm going to en- joy those moments that maybe I didn't enjoy as much as I should have be- cause I was so hockey fo- cused -- walking into the stadium for the opening ceremonies, connecting with people. I want to en- joy the game through the eyes of my teammates." But before you think Westlake is just along for the ride to enjoy the expe- rience, ask him what ad- vice he'd give his younger teammates. "Score seven goals, so we can win gold," the 35- year-old says with a laugh. Time, three Paralympic medals and three world championships have done nothing to dull Westlake's desire to win. He'll still be looking for a greater ap- preciation of those mo- ments off the ice. But on it, he'll still bring the same in- tensity and desire that has made him the second lead- ing scorer in the program's history. His 174 goals and 366 points in 236 national team games rank second only to Billy Bridges, the only oth- er holdover from Canada's last Paralympic gold in 2006. Not bad for a guy who made his national team de- but in 2004 as a goalie. Westlake, who had both legs amputated below his knees when he was 18 months old, had a relative- ly late introduction to the sport. He played minor hockey into his teens, be- cause that's what he knew. When his parents pre- sented him with the option of playing sledge hockey, he saw an opportunity to play at the highest level of a sport. Westlake achieved that, but he never anticipated being with the team nearly 20 years later. He thought he might play two Para- lympics, which as a carded national team athlete, would pay for his educa- tion. But as the sport grew, Westlake's competitive na- ture took over. He wanted to be part of that growth. "I remember being 25 years old and wanting to be the best player in the world, but we didn't have all the resources we do now," Westlake said. "There's not a single guy that can say they don't have everything they need. We have sport psycholo- gists, strength and condi- tioning coaches, a nutri- tionist, skills coaches. You just have to do the work." What is needed now, Westlake says, is growing the game at the grassroots level -- having more intro- ductory programs, mak- ing sure sleds are available to all who need them, help- ing kids be active. Westlake also knows the national team can play a role in growing the game by showcasing it on the world stage. And now, af- ter announcing it will be his final Paralympics, Westlake is rediscovering those things that drew him to the game in the first place. "It has freed me up to enjoy everything -- the opening ceremonies, every warmup, every meal with the team, and hopefully that translates into my play, because I play my best when I'm having fun." Canada plays its first game Saturday against the United States. 'GOING TO ENJOY THOSE MOMENTS' HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@metroland.com NEWS PARALYMPIAN STILL HAS STRONG DESIRE TO WIN AT FIFTH AND FINAL GAMES Greg Westlake will be vying for gold with the Canadian para-hockey team. Dave Holland photo