Eleven-year-old Declan Forcier is set to depart for Cologne, Germany, at the end of the month as part of Team Canada’s entry in the World Dwarf Games.
“I train pretty much every day,” said Declan, who was born with achondroplasia.
“It’s the most common form of dwarfism,” said his mom, Tammy Isaachsen. “It hasn’t held him back at all.”
Declan plays baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter with kids of average height, so competition of his own stature is something he’s looking forward to.
“I’m hoping to get lots of medals and make friends,” he said Friday.
Declan is making the trip with his mom and sister. The organization Little People of BC has chipped in with financial assistance, but Declan has bridged the gap with some bottle drives.
“I’ve only made two trips to the bottle depot, but they were big loads,” he said.
He’ll compete in basketball, soccer and track and field, and is the only athlete from B.C. on Canada’s 46-member team.
The World Dwarf Games run from July 28t to Aug. 5.
Jordan Cunningham
