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Cindy Ouellet is determined to build a new hip for herself.
The six-time Paralympian, who will soon begin her PhD in neuroscience at Laval University, plans to create a prosthesis that is more technologically advanced and comfortable to wear than her current figure.
Ouellet is among a handful of Paralympians on a mission to impact the medical world. All of this is blazing a new trail in the industry as they seek answers to their own diagnoses, develop unique solutions and defy expectations of their capabilities.
“I don’t think there are many people who can say, ‘Hey, I made my own leg,'” Ouellet told CBC Sports.
Ouellet, whose left pelvis and left femur were surgically removed after being diagnosed with bone cancer at age 11, has worn the same hip replacement ever since. Now she says the 20-year-old prosthetic is starting to fall apart, creating a sense of urgency in the project.
According to Ouellet, current hip prostheses are not yet as advanced as they could be.
“They’re still very mechanical. There aren’t many people who have had half their pelvis amputated like me, so there’s not a lot of research,” Ouellet said. “But for me it’s personal.”
With her sights set on LA 2028, Ouellet also wants to build her new hip within the next three to five years. She is motivated to not only improve her own quality of life, but also to improve the lives of others in the same position.
“Having a leg will definitely help in everyday life. If I can walk for a few more years, I’ll take it,” she said.
LOOK | Cindy Ouellet about her area of interest in biomedical technology:
It’s personal for Paralympic wheelchair basketball player Cindy Ouellet, who is earning a PhD in biomedical engineering and wants to advance the world of neuroprosthetics for the benefit of herself and others.
Borgella was inspired by ophthalmology
In a province on the University of Ottawa campus, Bianca Borgella, a fourth-year Neurology and Biomedical Sciences student, is fresh off her Paralympic debut in Paris 2024.
Her own visual condition, Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), motivates her to become an expert in this field.
“Why not? I want to find solutions for different vision. I always wonder: what does it feel like to see 20/20?” Borgella told CBC Sports.
CBC Sports’ Shireen Ahmed celebrates Bianca Borgella’s passion and drive during #Paris2024. Borgella stood up and finished her 100m race after suffering an injury on her Paralympic debut and is undergoing further medical assessment.
LCA is a condition that affects a baby’s retina at birth, causing loss of some or all vision. With this rare condition, Borgella’s vision has gradually improved over time, which is unusual compared to the vision decline experienced by others.
She wants to understand these differences and possibly find ways to help others regain or stabilize their own vision loss.
“Who else can talk about my disability?” Borgella said. “It’s kind of like examining myself and learning more about my vision.”
Borgella wants to be one of the first practicing ophthalmologists with a visual impairment.
“Our disability doesn’t define us. It doesn’t stop us from achieving what we want to do. We also want to make an impact.”
Hanes is no stranger to breaking barriers
In 2017, Julia Hanes disclosed her disability to medical school and was met with extreme skepticism on the first day.
“They felt like I wouldn’t be able to compete,” said Hanes, who at age 17 was diagnosed with a disease called hemiplegia, which causes paralysis on one side of the body.
“I was given a list of 100 items in an Excel spreadsheet that I had to prove I could do with my limitations.”
Despite the barriers she has faced, the 29-year-old, who is coming off an appearance at the 2024 Paralympic Games where she competed in the shot put and javelin throw, is now in her fourth year of training in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of British Columbia. Colombia (UBC).
In addition to her athletic and academic achievements, Hanes advocates for greater accessibility to medical schools. In particular, she has worked to update the UBC Faculty of Medicine technical standards, namely the physical, cognitive and behavioral skills required to complete the program, to better welcome students with disabilities.
Thanks to the efforts of individuals like Hanes, Paralympic wheelchair rugby player Joel Ewert is just beginning his own medical school journey, but his experience is already promising.
“You never want your disability to come close to your dreams and for me that is not the case right now. I have been supported every step of the way,” Ewert told CBC Sports.
Ewert, who is in his first year of the UBC Northern Medical Program and has dreamed of becoming a doctor since he was five, said his accommodation needs for cerebral palsy were strongly validated during the initial admissions interview.
“It is important to support the student, rather than putting the burden on him to make adjustments himself or ask difficult questions,” says Ewert. “It’s great to see those barriers already broken down for you.”
Accommodations, such as lowering the beds in the anatomy labs, have made the classroom experience much more equitable for Ewert as he looks to achieve his professional dreams.
“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, right?”
