DANIEL Stefan

Classification
PTS5 (ITU, 25 Jun 2021)

Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency (Athlete, 27 Nov 2015)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (ucalgary.ca, 23 Aug 2021; Athlete, 27 Nov 2015)

Impairment Details
He was born with bilateral radial club hands. His right arm is seven inches shorter than his left arm due to the absence of half of his radius [forearm bone]. (ucalgary.ca, 23 Aug 2021; Athlete, 27 Nov 2015; triathloncanada.com, 29 Mar 2014; canada.com, 24 Jun 2013)

General
LESSONS FROM RIO
He says his experience at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has prepared him mentally for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. He says he entered the 2016 Games expecting to win gold in the PT4 event, before eventually claiming silver. "Looking back, after realising that I had a pretty bad swim and a pretty bad bike - I came off the bike in fourth or fifth - I could have easily just packed it in and settled for fourth or fifth. But I really hung in there and dug deep and did the best I could on the run, and was able to win a silver versus lose the gold. I guess that's the best way to put it. I was proud of myself for not giving up and not letting the negative energy from the swim and the bike affect my run, and I really worked hard to earn that silver. So, I've come to be pretty proud of it. That experience definitely helped me mature, and I think I'm ready for anything in Tokyo now." (calgarysun.com, 23 Aug 2021)

CYCLING FOCUS
He said he used the postponement of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo to focus on cycling training. "I love the simplicity of the sport and how you can just throw your shoes on and go explore, but biking is what I spend the most time on. Most triathletes do this as biking requires the most time to build a proper base. I used the time [following the postponement of the 2020 Games] to really focus on my biking, which was my weakness in Rio. The extra year of developing my bike strength has really paid off, and I'm better prepared now than I would have been if the Games were last year [in 2020]." (paralympic.ca, 11 Aug 2021; outandbackdoor.com, 09 Aug 2021)

TRIATHLON ADAPTION
He finds the cycling component of the triathlon harder due to his impairment. He has a shortened right forearm and his hand lacks grip strength and complete functionality, which makes it harder to change gears and brake. He has his bike modified to accommodate his physique, allowing him to brake and change gear with his left hand. When swimming, due to different levels of strength in each hand he tended to favour his left side as he grew up. To compensate, he worked for years on his technique in order to swim in a straight line. (paralympic.ca, 11 Aug 2021; triathloncanada.com, 29 Mar 2014; triathlon.ab.ca, 01 Apr 2013)

SIBLING INSPIRATION
He says he is inspired by his older brother Christian, who has represented Canada in Para swimming and has cerebral palsy. "I give all the credit to my brother. He doesn't see his disability as a disability and his is more severe than mine. If he didn't teach me that, I wouldn't be able to do this. There would be times when I'd be competing in able-bodied racing where I'd think to myself, 'I shouldn't be here'. My brother taught me not to let anything limit you. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. My brother was one of the slower swimmers in the club, but he always had a smile on his face, always worked harder than everyone else. It rubbed off on me. He didn't care what he had, he just wanted to do the best he could with what he had." (tokyo2020.org, 21 Jul 2020; runningmagazine.ca, 17 Mar 2021)

STUDIES ON HOLD
He put his studies at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, on hold during the 2019/20 northern hemisphere winter in order to focus on preparing for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, before the Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (triathlonmagazine.ca, 09 Jan 2020)

He became the first Canadian Para triathlete to win a medal at the Paralympic Games when he claimed silver in the men's PT4 event at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 27 Aug 2021; outandbackdoor.com, 09 Aug 2021)