London Para athlete brings home bronze medal from national Boccia Ball championship

If a sport or activity isn't competitive, Liza Puri, 48, wants no part in it. 

The London Para athlete's drive to excel and outdo herself won her a bronze medal at the Canadian Boccia Championships in Ottawa last week where she represented Ontario. 

"I have this competitive streak in me that I need to get out; I don't like just playing for no reason. I used to play sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball and I rock climb, so if I want to do something it has to be competitive," Puri told CBC News. 

The victory was even more special for Puri as it was her first time competing at a national level. She did it all with her trusted service dog Helix by her side, whose job is to assist Puri with her visual impairment and occasional seizures. 

"I was a little nervous but I knew I had the best coach and assistant beside me, and the whole team was rooting me on so I knew I could do it," she said. 

Boccia can be played individually or in teams of two or three. A game starts when a white leather ball, referred to as a jack, is thrown and each team takes turns tossing red and white balls to see who lands it closest to the jack. Scoring works the same way it does in curling.

The hardest part of the competition for Puri and her performance partner was to remain composed on the court when they learned she won the bronze medal. They eventually sneaked off to the athletes' lounge where they cheered out of pride. 

"My sports assistant basically started jumping up and down and I started crying because it was my first medal at the national level. I'm just so proud to represent Ontario," said Puri. 

Puri quickly grew to love the sport after taking it up recreationally in 2009. Despite medical issues forcing her to briefly retire until 2023, the itch to return and compete kept her going, she said. 

It was also the first national coaching experience for Tammy McLeod, a retired four-time Paralympian, who trained Puri and Team Ontario. She said she's proud to see how far Puri has come in the short time the pair worked together to train for the competition. 

"I only started coaching Liza since beginning of September, so we only had eight weeks of working together to prepare for the Canadian Boccia Championships," said McLeod, adding that Ontario won five medals in individual play, and three in team and pairs play. 

Lorna McKenzie, Puri's performance partner, helps reposition her wheelchair and passes her balls when she calls for them. She felt honoured to support Puri in her win, she said. 

"Liza's incredibly focused, she works very hard. Every Tuesday she's out there doing her drills, the coach is yelling 'focus' at both of us, and she's come a long way. I'm very proud of her and she deserves this," said McKenzie.

McKenzie said she's noticing a surge in Boccia's popularity, which she believes is due to how inclusive the sport is in allowing people of all abilities to participate, along with international exposure it's receiving at sport events like the Paralympics and the Pam Am Games. 

Next on Puri's list of goals is to qualify for Team Canada and represent the country at the Paralympics someday. But high costs of sports equipment, travel and medical expenses on a limited income remain a challenge.

Her team has started a GoFundMe campaign to support her training and competition expenses. Meantime, she's continuing to train long and hard. 

"I don't like to sit back. Hard work is my middle name and I go for it," she said.