Montreal man with cerebral palsy finds freedom and fun in boccia ball

Montrealer Alexandre Ziegler has been playing boccia ball since he was 13.

He's 31 now, and speaking to CBC News at the Maurice Richard Arena in the city's east end on Friday before a competition got underway, he said the sport encourages him to move his body and develop his autonomy.

"The sport is fun. It gives me a chance to meet people."

Ziegler has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around, but he doesn't let that stop him from competing in events like the National Boccia Open, which was held on Friday and Saturday before the Montreal 2023 Boccia World Cup got underway.

Boccia ball is similar to bocce, with the aim of throwing leather balls as close to the target ball, or jack, as possible. It is a Paralympic sport. 

Ziegler plays in the BC3 division, which is for people who have severe locomotive difficulties, allowing him to use a ramp to help facilitate his throw of the ball. He said he tried categories that didn't have the ramp assistance, but it was too hard.

His mother, Carole Santerre, volunteers with Boccia Canada, a branch of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association that aims to give people the opportunity to play the sport.

Santerre said she tried to get her son into horseback riding when he was younger, but it became too difficult. So they began looking for a sport he could enjoy safely, expressing himself and having fun.

They went to a demonstration and realized right away boccia ball could be a great way for him to develop his motor skills while enjoying all the social benefits that come with being involved with a sport.

Throwing the ball without the ramp did prove to be too difficult and caused pain, but they didn't give up, she explained. 

Playing with the ramp is physically easier but