Photo courtesy of wheelchairrugby.ca.
With the 2026 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships set to begin August 17th in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Peterborough’s Cody Caldwell is determined to secure the medal that has eluded Team Canada at the international level.
Caldwell, who played triple A hockey and soccer locally before a 2008 diving accident left him a quadriplegic, is part of a Canadian team that features a strong mix of veteran leadership and new talent that will compete in a pool A alongside Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United States and host country.
Caldwell initially made the national team in 2013 and won gold two years later at the Toronto Parapan American Games. In 2016, his first Paralympic Games saw the team finish fourth. Subsequent Paralympic Games in 2020 and 2024 saw Team Canada again finish out of medals. Caldwell says the goal is simple – achieve a podium result.
Speaking to his own development and where his game is at, Caldwell is pleased but says there always room for improvement.
Caldwell says putting on the Team Canada jersey “never gets old.”
Team Canada will open the tournament August 17th against Australia and continue preliminary play through August 20th. All matches, including August 23rd medal matches, will be streamed live via World Wheelchair Rugby’s YouTube channel.
(Written by: Paul Rellinger)
