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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2010 53 SLEDGE IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Team Canada sledge hockey star Greg Westlake celebrates a goal last week during the Paralympic Games in Vancouver. Westlake scored seven times in the tournament to lead all players in goals, but Canada was denied a medal with surprising losses to Japan and Norway. The 23year-old local resident does take solace in the increased exposure sledge hockey received during the Paralympics. DAVID COOPER / TORONTO STAR No medal for Westlake, but there is a silver lining F ive months ago, Greg Westlake watched intently as the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic medals were unveiled for the first time. "My first thought was that the medals were so gorgeous and so nice," said the 23-year-old local resident, a high-scoring forward on the Canadian men's sledge hockey team. "I thought that even if we didn't win gold, winning a silver or a bronze would be a nice memento. "I just assumed the consolation prize (if Canada didn't win gold) would be a different colour -- not no medal entirely." But no medal is the reality Westlake and his teammates are forced to deal with after a stunning finish to the Paralympic Games last weekend. Dominant throughout the preliminary round of the sledge hockey tournament, Canada was upset 3-1 by Japan in the semifinal Friday and then fell 2-1 to Norway the following day in the bronzemedal game. Coming home empty-handed has been difficult to come to grips with, though Westlake has no regrets. "I'm not sure it will ever sink in," said Westlake, who legs were amputated at an early age. "I think we took a big scored a tournament-leading seven goals in Vancouver. "The step with that. saving grace is I can honestly say I gave my best effort. "What a contrast it was from Italy. We won gold there "In terms of preparation, I worked as hard as I could. I and (my father, Jim) had to email other people and tell don't know what more I could have done. There are always them how we were doing. Now, four years later, the amount those little moments in the game (when I think I should of messages to me through email, on Facebook and that have scored), but I think about those even when siblings forwarded, it was amazing." "I put so much we win. Westlake, who hopes the exposure from this "I don't regret anything. I did what I could. year's Paralympics will encourage more people time and effort Sometimes you don't win, and it sucks. We to play the sport and strengthen the game at into the sport. I have won a lot of tournaments for a lot of years, the grassroots level in Canada, already has just want people and then laid an egg when it mattered most." Russia 2014 on his mind. He's one of several to understand players on the team that are in their early 20s, The unfortunate thing about those previous what it is I do." so he hopes he's in his prime by the time the tournament wins -- Canada won gold at the 2006 Paralympics in Turin despite being ranked next Paralympics come around. n Greg Westlake In the meantime, life goes on. Westlake fourth going in, and the Canucks won gold at plans to finish university and move to downlast year's worlds in Boston on a goal with nine town Toronto in the near future, he is looking forward to seconds left -- is that not many people were watching. They were watching this year's tournament, though. And the golf season and he is excited to work on his speech for with no gold, silver or bronze around his neck, the exposure sister Rachelle's upcoming wedding. "You get home and you're so devastated. Then something that sledge hockey got in Vancouver can serve as Westlake's so simple as your sister's wedding makes you realize there's silver lining. "I put so much time and effort into the sport. I just want more to life than just a hockey tournament," Westlake said. "Hockey doesn't define me as a person." people to understand what it is I do," said Westlake, whose