This is a message to give you information about the Boccia Canada athletes competing in exactly one month’s time at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The first boccia game will take place on August 28. 

What is boccia?

• Boccia is a game of precision, focus and accuracy that is similar to the sport in Québec called “Pétanque”
• It’s a sport that anyone can participate in  
• It is one of only three Paralympic sports that don’t have an able-bodied counterpart
• It’s co-ed right now but will no longer be co-ed in the next cycle
• Four classes competing at the Games in Tokyo: BC1, BC2, BC3, BC4

Meet our athletes:

Alison Levine, BC4 Athlete, Montréal, Québec

Current World #1 in the class of BC4

• She is the first woman to reach World Ranking Number 1 position in the class of BC4
• She is known for her powerhouse strength
• Recent Notable Achievements:
  • 2018 BISFed Montreal Boccia World Open
  • Silver (Individual) 2019 BISFed Montreal Boccia World Open
  • Gold (Individual)2019 Lima Parapan American Games
  • Bronze (Pairs)2019 BISFed Sao Paulo Boccia America Regional Championships
  • Bronze (Individual & Pairs)2019 BISFed Povoa Boccia World Open – Gold (Pairs)

Her Story:
The sport of boccia will be switching from a co-ed sport to men and women categories in the next cycle. Alison has shown that she’s a powerhouse in the co-ed division and is expected to do very well in the next cycle with competitions only taking place between women and between men. Her mum and performance partner, Roberta Fried-Levine, will be retiring to focus solely on Alison’s boccia career in the next cycle. Read Alison’s story here. 

Danik Allard, BC2 AthleteBois-des-Filion, Québec

• In 2019 he was the NextGen star of the year and climbed to 14th position in world ranks after two international competitions
• He punched his ticket to the Paralympics and will be the youngest boccia player in the class of BC2 in Tokyo
• His dream was to go to a Paralympic Games in 2024 in Paris but he achieved this goal 3 years early, punching his ticket to Tokyo after only two international appearances that year
• Recent Notable Achievements:
  • 2019 BISFed Montreal Boccia World Open – 4th place2019 BISFed Sao Paulo Boccia America Regional Championships – Bronze (Individual)

His Story:
He has taken the boccia world by storm over the past couple of years and is on many other countries’ radars since he burst onto the international scene. He is very physically fit and is always looking for extra opportunities to practice boccia. He is always first to practice and last to leave. Read article here about Danik’s journey. 

Iulian Ciobanu, BC4 AthleteMontréal, Québec

• Iulian Ciobanu burst on to the boccia scene in 2015, making his first national squad just one year after taking up the sport.
• He has had a lot of success in Pairs play, having helped Boccia Canada secure many medals over the years.
• His calm exterior and poise on court is evident at all competitions.
• Recent Notable Achievements:
  • 2017 BISFed Montreal Regional Open Championships – Gold (Individual & Pairs)
  • 2019 Lima Parapan American Games – Bronze (Pairs)
  • 2019 BISFed Sao Paulo Boccia America Regional Championships – Bronze (Pairs)
  • 2019 BISFed Povoa Boccia World Open – Gold (Pairs)

His Story:
He is a very smart player and always keeps his poise on the court. He is also a father to two young girls whom he takes great pride in. During COVID-19 he took advantage of time with his family while keeping his sights firmly set on the Tokyo Paralympics which he qualified for in 2019. Iulian’s risks and trick plays are starting to pay off as explained here in an article. 

Marco Dispaltro, BC4 AthleteSt.-Jérôme, Québec

• Previous bronze medalist at the London 2012 Paralympics in Pairs play alongside teammate at the time, Josh Vander Vies
• Opening Ceremonies flag bearer at the 2015 Toronto Parapan Ams for Canada
• This will mark Marco’s third Paralympic Games
• Recent Notable Achievements:
  • 2017 BISFed Montreal Regional Open Championships – Silver (Individual) and Gold (Pairs)
  • 2019 Lima Parapan American Games – Gold (Individual) and Bronze (Pairs)
  • 2019 BISFed Sao Paulo Boccia America Regional Championships – Bronze (Individual & Pairs)
  • 2019 BISFed Povoa Boccia World Open – Gold (Pairs)

His Story:
He likes to refer to himself as the Gordie Howe of parasport. He started off as a wheelchair rugby player and then eventually transitioned to boccia after Head Coach, Mario Delisle, convinced him to take a shot at the game. “We are not born champions, we become champions,” is the motto he lives by. Read article here about Marco, the Gordie Howe of parasport. 

All games will be featured on CBC and the times of the games are listed here. Note that Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST). The boccia athletes will be competing in the following categories:- BC4 Individual Event – Alison Levine- BC4 Individual Event – TBD (either Marco Dispaltro or Iulian Ciobanu)- BC2 Individual Event – Danik Allard- BC4 Pairs Event – Alison Levine, Marco Dispaltro, & Iulian Cioban.

If you have any other questions or would like quotes from the Boccia Canada athletes, feel free to reach me at hjanna@bocciacanada.ca