Age: 27
Occupation: Public speaker; founder of Straz Strong Foundation
Ryan Straschnitzki’s life may forever be defined by the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash tragedy, but his ambitions won’t be. The former Broncos hockey player-turned-Paralympic basketball hopeful started the Straz Strong Foundation in 2021 to increase accessibility in sports. In five years, the foundation has donated more than $100,000 towards adaptive sports opportunities, equipment and recovery resources.
Straschnitzki’s work has earned national recognition, including a nomination for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame People’s Choice Award and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. For Straschnitzki, success is measured by something simpler — helping others rediscover the confidence that sport can provide.
“One of the most important things that I think sport offers is the opportunity to feel like you belong. Through Straz Strong, that’s our aim,” he says.
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