Amidst the sound of deafening cheers in the Olympic Stadium in Athens last month, the biggest Paralympic Games in history began. More than 3,800 athletes from 146 countries paraded proudly into the marble-laden stadium. Sechelt's Mark Heidebrecht, dressed in his Canadian team jacket, was standing alongside them as the athletic manager for the Canadian Paralympic National Team.
Heidebrecht knew it would be an amazing experience when he applied for the position.
"It was a really powerful experience to be a part of something that big, to represent your country. It was pretty special," said Heidebrecht from his classroom in Sechelt.
Heidebrecht oversees the school district's Phoenix Program, which falls within the Sunshine Coast Alternative School district. But it is his background in physical education and his years of volunteering with the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA) that qualified him for the management position with Canada's paralympic team.
He has been involved with the association since 1996, when his wife suggested some of her physiotherapy clients needed something more than she could offer.
"She said she thought some of her clients really needed sport to help them heal and she asked if I would coach them, so I decided to take on that challenge," said Heidebrecht.
He quickly became involved with the CCPSA and coached track and field athletes competing at the provincial and national level. In 1998 he was the team manager for the CCPSA and took a group of athletes to the world championships.
He has always been active in sports and holds a degree in physical education. He has also been coaching for a long time and says he may be better known for his time coaching football at Penn State and the University of Maine.
But Heidebrecht says working with disabled athletes can be more fulfilling than working with able-bodied athletes.
"I think [disabled athletes] seem to have a greater appreciation of what they have. They don't take anything for granted and they appreciate the opportunity to compete. They want to excel like any able-bodied athlete and they don't want to be treated any differently," said Heidebrecht.
He said the calibre of sport demonstrated by the athletes at the paralympic games was outstanding.
"They have an unbelievable desire to win and succeed despite their disabilities. They don't look at their disabilities really, they just look at their abilities," said Heidebrecht.
His team of 40 Canadian athletes had physical challenges ranging from being blind to being quadriplegic. They took home 23 medals in athletics (also known as track and field).
"Our team placed in the top three in athletics in the world," said Heidebrecht.
His athletes competed in every track and field event an able-bodied Olympian would and used some of the same facilities the preceding Olympics Games had used in Athens.
But Heidebrecht had little time to enjoy the scenery.
"I was working 12-hour days making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be and things were running properly. Basically I was in charge of all of the logistics for our team and for the technical aspects. I oversaw the whole athletic meet. Everything from start times to scheduling, practice schedules, coordinating staff meetings and ensuring our athletes made it to the venues," said Heidebrecht.
He also said problems with the Olympic committee's computer system made for extra work.
"A lot of my time was spent going around putting out fires," said Heidebrecht.
But he said the time spent with the athletes, seeing their drive and determination and the opportunity to be part of the Canadian team made everything worthwhile.
He also noted his years of working with disabled athletes has helped him to see his own life differently."I appreciate what I have a lot more than before," said Heidebrecht.
Locally, you may see Heidebrecht coaching physically disabled children or youth involved in soccer. In the back of his mind he's thinking about the next paralympic games slated for 2008 in Beijing, China.
"I've got some kids I coach who are serious about competing, and honestly I'd love to take them myself, but we'll have to wait and see," Heidebrecht said.
