HEDGES Robert

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (Athlete, 23 Jun 2016)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (Athlete, 01 Sep 2017)

Impairment Details
He has paraplegia as the result of falling from a tree at age 13. (Athlete, 23 Jun 2016)

General
NUDE PHOTOSHOOT
In 2016 he was one of 12 Toronto locals to take part in a nude photo shoot for NOW magazine's 'Love Your Body' issue. He says he stepped out of his comfort zone to be part of the shoot but hoped that would inspire others to be confident about their body image. "Before my accident, I didn't think about my body that much. I grew up on a ranch, climbing trees and riding horses. My body was just a means for having fun and a tool for completing tasks. After my accident, my perception of how I use my body changed, but eventually I realised I could do all those same things, especially when it came to sports. I just had to adapt. If I can show that I'm comfortable in my own skin, maybe it will inspire society to become comfortable with more atypical disabled bodies. To that end, when people see me competing at a high level and then getting into my day chair to do interviews, I hope I'm bridging the gap and helping them understand the capabilities of people with disabilities." (people.com, 19 Jan 2016)

DOCUMENTARY
Ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo his life was documented by a film crew as part of a documentary entitled 'Dream Big: Fort St. John to Tokyo'. The film profiles his career as a whole, with specific focus on his life and routine building towards the 2020 Paralympic Games. (christinesutherland.com, 12 Dec 2018; alaskahighwaynews.ca, 15 Oct 2019)

FURTHER EDUCATION
He studied for a master's degree in sport management at the University of Alabama in the United States of America. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Apr 2016)