Patrick Lévis’ driver’s license was suspended.

During rehabilitation post-surgery, Patrick wasn’t medically fit to drive until RoadSafetyBC’s assessment says otherwise.

Having just lost his ability to walk and with no one available to give him a ride, he didn’t know how to get around.

“Not only did I lose my ability to walk, jump, or climb, but I also lost my independence.”

The retired Canadian Armed Forces Major had just undergone an extensive surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his stomach. His right leg was paralyzed as a result.

As a 31-year military man, this new reality only worsened the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that he’s been living with for a decade. It also didn’t help that his rehabilitation was happening during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were isolating.

Patrick needed to go to a rehabilitation centre daily for two months. Knowing that a daily taxi fare would be costly, Patrick turned to transit.

But he wasn’t ready to expose his disability. He worried about public opinion.

“I was not prepared for the mental and physical challenges of taking public transit, where I would be looked at differently because I had a wheelchair or a walker.”

He also didn’t know how to roll onto the bus or SkyTrain.

When Patrick learned about HandyDART, he found relief. This shared-ride service, offered to people who are unable to navigate conventional public transit without assistance, was exactly what he needed. He would be assisted right from his doorstep to the doorstep of his destination.

As his rehab progressed and he got stronger, he also built the confidence to use conventional public transit and be in public with a mobility aid. He could go out more — not just for medical appointments, but to also explore the city.

“Thanks to transit I was able to find my independence and enjoy other parts of the city without the fear of being left behind.”

Competing at the 2022 Invictus Games for Team Canada

 

Patrick is an active person. He played competitive sports in high school, including downhill skiing, soccer, and rugby. He did trapeze in college, and while in the military, he skydived.

Being off the military and staying home, Patrick felt he had lost his identity. He also missed the environment of camaraderie from the military. So, he looked for an opportunity to compete again.

With his new reality of using mobility aids, he learned about adaptive sports and found Invictus Games.

At first, Patrick thought competitors were playing at an elite level. He expected a selection process to vet players based on their competitiveness and skill level. Later he learned that the games are open for all veterans who have been wounded, injured, or fallen ill during or as a consequence of their service.

The games aren’t for competition, but to use sports to help with recovery.

Competitors who have played in the past can no longer play in the next one to allow for other applicants to join.

Patrick represented Team Canada in wheelchair racing, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, indoor rowing, and sitting volleyball for the 2022 Invictus Games in Netherlands.

He brought home six medals, four of them gold in wheelchair racing, and a silver and bronze in indoor rowing.

The 2025 Invictus Games is held in Vancouver and Whistler, where 500 competitors from 23 nations play sports ranging from indoor rowing, biathlon, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, swimming, and for the first time — winter sports! This includes alpine and nordic skiing, snowboarding, skeleton, and wheelchair curling.

From training and playing in the games, Patrick developed mental toughness, resilience, and perseverance. He also found new connections and developed new bonds with fellow competitors.

In the 2025 games, Patrick is volunteering as a nation liaison for Team Belgium and as a medal ceremony supervisor. Volunteering is one way he gives back to the organization that has helped him during his recovery. He’s also looking forward to reuniting with old friends from the 2022 games who are also volunteering.

The staple of the 2025 Invictus Games is the ‘I AM’ sign. You’ll see it around Vancouver, including at Stanley Park and Jack Poole Plaza.

When asked how Patrick would complete the ‘I AM’ sentence, he says

“I am grateful.”