Ottawa Akademy’s John Leslie won the first World Cup para-snowboard medals of his career in January, earning snowboard cross bronze medals in Colorado on Jan. 20 and in B.C. on Jan. 27.
“It’s nice to see the hard work and training pay off,” Leslie said in a Canada Snowboard media release. “I’m super proud of myself to have made these accomplishments for the first time in my career.”
The 21-year-old Algonquin College student from Arnprior clocked times just behind a pair of U.S. athletes on both occasions to earn the hardware against a field made up of athletes from 10 countries. After his medal win at Big White, B.C., Leslie was officially nominated to the Canadian Paralympic team for Sochi.
“It felt unreal to come home and get a bronze medal,” described Leslie, who lost a leg to bone cancer at age 11.