Three B.C. Athletes Named to the U23 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball National Squad

Aidan Love and Jack Kosterman will represent Canada at the U23 Men's Wheelchair Basketball World Championships

BC Wheelchair Sports Association and BC Wheelchair Basketball Association congratulate the three BC athletes named to the U23 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball squad, which will represent Canada at the U23 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Adana, Turkey this September. Aidan Love (Victoria, BC) and Jack Kosterman (Langley, BC) were named to the team and Justin Johnson (Langley, BC) was selected as an alternate.

All three athletes are alumni of the Bridging the Gap program, which connects people with newly acquired disabilities to wheelchair sports through weekly rehabilitation programs and Have a Go events.

The selected athletes are:

Aidan Love (Victoria, BC): Originally from Whitehorse, Aidan Love acquired a spinal cord injury during a skiing accident in 2012 and discovered wheelchair basketball through the Bridging the Gap program as an in-patient at G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre. After moving to Victoria to attend the University of Victoria, he began training with the local team and quickly attracted the attention of provincial and national team coaches.

 Jack Kosterman (Langley, BC): At only 14 years old, Jack Kosterman is the youngest member of Team Canada. After developing Legg-Perthes disease, which causes joint damage, Kosterman got involved in wheelchair basketball through a Have a Go Day. This sharp-shooter is one of Team Canada’s fastest-rising stars.

Justin Johnson (Langley, BC): Former elite mountain biker Justin Johnson developed a spinal cord injury in 2011 and was introduced to wheelchair basketball as an in-patient at G.F. Strong. His natural athleticism has allowed him to experience success in a short amount of time. He is an alternate to the team.

“We’re so proud of the hard work and dedication of these young athletes, who have been introduced to wheelchair sports through Bridging the Gap and are on the road to success.” said BC Wheelchair Sports Association Executive Director Gail Hamamoto. “We’ll be cheering them on this September as they try to bring home the gold for Canada!”

The newly assembled team will centralize July 22-Aug. 9 at the University of Toronto Scarborough to train for the upcoming championship. The U23 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships will be held from September 5^th to 15^th in Adana, Turkey.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Arley McNeney
Communications Coordinator
BC Wheelchair Sports Association
arley@bcwheelchairsports.com
Cell: 778-788-9091