Come discover wheelchair sports in Montréal, Canada

Details

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  Description

  French 🇫🇷 to follow ⬇️
  
  You want something different, you want to travel and even earn some cash (if u want)? How about working with a Paralympic athlete vying for a spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in the sport of Boccia.
  
  How about helping someone that should be long dead! In my case, through sports and healthy living, I have far exceeded my life expectancy and I show no signs of slowing down! Where there’s a will, there’s a way!!!
  
  Let’s get some admin stuff out of the way first; to come to Canada you will need to be fully vaccinated and to volunteer with me, you will need to have a drivers permit and not be allergic to cats.
  
  Down to business:) I’m Marco, a Canadian Paralympic Athlete and I’m looking for someone to assist me for at least 1 month. A WHV might be an asset, but not a requirement.
  
  I’m looking for someone to help me in my daily life and in sports here in Montreal, which means preparing practice equipment, assisting me during practice (3-4 times at the gym and 1-2 times at home per week), assisting me at home, household work (cleaning dishes, laundry...), getting groceries, running errands, food prep and other related things.
  
  The deal: if you like sports, healthy living and would like discovering a whole new world, my proposal will surely interest you!
  
  What I offer is food, lodging, local transpo (bike rental, bus and subway pass) and you get to help me in my preparation for my competitions and get a shout out for getting me on the podium.
  
  As well, I'm part of a program where the people accompanying me to practice, earn wages to assist me.
  
  You might also travel with me; the boccia competition season is from April to December. There will be opportunities for travel: Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Bahrain and Brazil are all possibilities in 2022.
  
  In closing, I live close to downtown, really near the botanical garden and Olympic Stadium where I train.
  
  Hopefully you will have experience in working with the disabled or have a bring on the challenge attitude if you have never worked with the disabled.
  
  And then there’s my 2 babies, Sushi and Sashimi, they’re my baby bengal cats.
  
  If you require more info on what I’m looking for or want to see a few videos of the type of help I need or a little bit more about myself, just ask.
  
  Are you fully vaccinated? Do you have a driver's license? Do you like cats or are you at least not allergic?) A PVT could also be an asset.
  
  Here we are at the end of 2022 and 2023 seems very promising for me with many competitions including the Parapan American Games in Chile. It's like the Olympic Games but for the American zone.
  
  If you like sports, travel, a healthy life and you like to discover new things, my proposal could interest you! It will be mainly to support me in my sports and daily activities. You have to be a person who gives but who will receive a lot in return for this experience. I'm also part of a program where the people accompanying me can get a salary if you are interested.
  
  And maybe a mental recalibration would be good for you, we could do some meditation together.
  
  You will have to be careful and follow the COVID-19 prevention guidelines, because I am part of a segment of the population that is very vulnerable to Covid-19 even though I have my 3 doses!
  
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  Es-tu complètement vacciné? As-tu un permis de conduire? T’aimes les chats ou du moins t'es pas allergique:) Un PVT pourrait aussi être un atout.
  
  2023 semble très prometteur pour moi avec beaucoup de compétitions dont les Jeux Parapanaméricains au Chili. C comme les Jeux Olympiques mais pour la zone de l’Amérique.
  
  Si t’aimes le sport, voyager, une vie saine et tu aimes découvrir des choses nouvelles, ma proposition pourrait t’intéresser! Il s’agira essentiellement de m’appuyer dans mes activités sportives et journalières. Faut être plutôt une personne qui donne mais qui recevra beaucoup en retour de cette expérience. Je fais aussi parti d'un programme où les personnes m'accompagnant peuvent avoir un salaire si cela vous intéresse.
  
  Et peut-être une recalibration mentale te ferait du bien, on pourrait faire un peu de méditation ensemble.
  
  Il faudra par contre être prudent et respecter les consignes de prévention de la COVID-19, car je fais parti d’un segment de la population très vulnérable au Covid-19 même si j’ai mes 3 doses!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will get a life experience of a new world, learn about incredible resilience in overcoming fantastic obstacles! We have an amazing and open community. Open your mind and heart, don’t be afraid, dive in and you will get an abundance in return.
  
  You will learn French and if you are French speaking, you will learn some québécois French and you will also improve your English, if It’s not your mother tongue.
  
  You will learn about Paralympic sports, experience a great city; Montreal is a very vibrant city, we have lots of green spaces in the city and very close to the city. It’s Montreal, it’s awesome, even during the winter, but as you can imagine, I prefer the summers as snow and wheelchairs don’t get along very well!

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  Help

  If you have experience helping with the physically disabled, that’s a big plus, but it’s not a deal breaker, as you’ll learn as we go along. Embrace it as a challenge:)
  
  For the specifics on the help: you will assist in daily living and sports like setting up my cross training at the apartment, we'll also be hitting the courts 3-4 times a week, where your tasks will be to set me up, assisting me for some aerobics, picking up balls, listen to me and my coaches directions to ensure a proper training session and some general help.
  
  Household help, will be normal chores: dishes, laundry, recycling, taking out the garbage, food prep, etc.. I also expect you to be fit, as it helps with what the tasks you’ll be performing.
  
  What do I expect? I expect you to be organized, responsible, dynamic, go with the flow, be chill, work well with others, high energy during our tasks and very keen to discover wheelchair sports and my very particular community:) I like somebody hands on, that doesn’t back down from challenges, that wants to learn and shows initiative.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  I live in an apartment complex and your domain for your stay will be the living room but no worries, you’ll have privacy as there will be a divider/curtain separating your space (approx. 3.10m x 3.30m pictures included).
  
  You will sleep on a comfy futon. You will also have a TV, working area, an IKEA shelving unit with drawers (clothes and stuff) and a small table. You will be comfortable.
  
  And of course I’ve got your wifi needs covered. I also have Netflix, Disney+ and a sports channel!

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  What else ...

  I’m a pretty simple person, I enjoy a stress free environment, where everyone gets along and where there’s solutions for everything, wouldn’t that be great. I live for my sport and to give kids and adults with disabilities some mentorship and guidance, on what you can achieve with dedication and passion.
  
  I enjoy going to the movies (from indie flix to blockbusters and watching the Simpsons and during the summer, I I like going to terrasses and I enjoy some walks/rolling.
  
  I have never smoked or done drugs and I don’t really drink, but I do enjoy a small glass of quality red wine with supper, once in a while. I’m a serious athlete, even given my limitations and I truly adhere to healthy living! I really believe it’s the reason I’m not dead, as the doctors gave me a short life expectancy!
  
  I expect you to be a non smoker, no drugs and drink with moderation, if you drink. You should pick up after yourself, I’m not a neat freak, I just like a tidy place. I want a down to earth person, someone not too complicated or demanding, just be happy to be
  
  And as I said before a good level of fitness is very helpful to helping me out:)

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  About 25 volunteer hours per week

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