Goncin, the Canadian Paralympian making calipers for disabled kids / Photo: François-Xavier MARIT - AFP
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Goncin, the Canadian Paralympian making calipers for disabled kids
Canadian wheelchair basketballer Nikola Goncin helped his country into the semi-finals at the Paris Paralympics on Tuesday but in his day job the Bosnia-born star makes orthotic devices for disabled and injured children.
Canada upset the Netherlands 79-67 in the quarter-finals at Bercy Arena to book their spot in the last four.
"We beat them in a big game for once, so I'm glad today was that day," said Goncin after the match. "It's a perfect day, I'll tell you that much."
The win meant Canada, who finished eighth in the Covid-impacted Tokyo Games in 2021, still have the chance to secure a medal.
Paralympic champions USA now stand between them and the final.
Regardless, Goncin will be delighted to return to the court at least two more times to play in front of packed crowds after games in Tokyo took place in empty venues as spectators were banned due to health restrictions.
"The French fans are insane," said the 32-year-old.
"You heard them singing at half-time and stuff. It sounds crazy on court. You can't hear anything (from team-mates).
"That energy gives you an extra gear... I would love to play in front of 10,000 every single day."
Goncin was born in Bosnia but fled the country with his parents to escape the Balkans war in 1994.
The family settled in Canada, where Goncin got involved in basketball until one day, aged 15, his leg broke when playing.
The break, caused by cancer, meant his leg had to be amputated.
"I was actually playing able-bodied basketball and bounce-stopped. As I bounce-stopped, my leg broke, and then they knew right away," said Goncin.
Goncin discovered wheelchair basketball after the accident but it would come to impact his life in a much different way many years later.
- 'Dream come true' -
After completing his bachelor's degree in biomechanics and then a master's in exercise physiology, Goncin had to enter the world of work.
But he wanted what he did in his 9-5 to have meaning.
"I think I was on the trajectory to go more into a physiology role, like high performance," he said.
"Obviously, being in high performance, that was attractive to me. Then after I did my master's, I kind of realised that's not exactly what I'm passionate about.
"I really like kids. I really like helping people.
"Especially at a high level, physiology jobs are pretty hard to come by and you're affecting a very small part of the population.
"I had to sit down with myself and think about what I would be interested in.
"And my prosthetist, when I first lost my leg, had a really big impact on me. And so I was like, maybe that's something I'd be interested in."
As fortune had it, there were programmes in orthotic and prosthetic technical fabrication in Toronto where Goncin was living at the time.
"I was like, let's go for it. So I went to school for that and then I got a job at the Children's Hospital in Calgary," he said.
Goncin started as a orthotic technician at the hospital in 2021 and said he "loves (his) job".
"You can't really choose your job (location) necessarily depending on what's available. But that was my dream case scenario: have a health care job, work at a hospital, have good hours," he added.
And just like the cherry on top, Goncin's work hours allow him to finish at 3:00 pm, leaving him plenty of time to play wheelchair basketball.
"I still can go to practice, get my workouts in, do all the things I need to do for this part of my life. So it's like a dream come true."
R.Hansen--HHA
