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Sylvain Coste
Hockey passion
This year, for the first time in its 27 years of existence, the Défi sportif welcomes a World Championship. The best amputee hockey teams in the world will meet in Montreal, hoping to win a world crown and thus oust Canada, champion of the last four editions.
Masters in their own home, a lot will be needed to relegate the Canadian players according
to Sylvain Coste who longs for a fifth title in a row. Canada has
never lost an international match since the sport exists. We are really lucky to have a
very good team, so we expect nothing short of a victory.
Of AAA Midget calibre, amputee hockey is not yet recognized as a Paralympic sport so,
the World Championship, held every second year, is the highest level the teams can reach.
It is the most for me to be living this in Montréal
, says the hockey player who
extended his hockey career by a few seasons so he could play such important games in
front of his home crowd. It will give us wings.
At 41 years of age, I am in the best shape of my life. I trained very hard in the
last six months
, explains the man who plays four times a week in garage leagues. He
impatiently awaits the beginning of the World Championship. I am excited just like a
child. I train my son in hockey and I think I have more enthusiasm than some players on
his team when they go off for a tournament
, he adds, laughing.
Close-knitted
If they are used to dominate on the international scene, a mixture of confidence and
fear inhabits the Canadian players at the dawn of the fifth World Championship. We
have not played against the other teams in two years, so we could be surprised. We know
that Finland is much improved and the Americans should present a solid opposition.
However, of the 24 players who make up the national team, the vast majority were in
Boston in 2008 for the previous World Championship. According to the Quebecer, the depth
and the experience of the team, along with their unfailing solidarity, will be their best
cards on the ice. We all have our little bit of history behind us. It isn’t like normal
hockey players who have no disability or amputation. Because we all have our history, we
bond easily together. We all have had our hardships, but we can talk about them openly
among us, communication is easy and it strengthens team spirit.
Amputated, but not handicapped
I consider myself an amputee, not handicapped.
Amputated at mid-forearm after a
work accident in his father’s butcher shop at 18, Sylvain Coste has learned to live
with the good and the bad points of that significant event in his life. It is a dumb
accident; yes, I lost part of my arm and it did take me a few years before I fully
accepted it. People ask: if I could go back to August 3, 1987, would it change my life.
I tell them not a bit. It has allowed me to live extraordinary things.
It is part of me and of my charm. People might not remember my name, but they do
notice my handicap. I have always used it to my advantage
, he adds. It is blatant,
in the sense that it is obvious, but it does not set limitations for me. I had a
motorcycle when I was younger, I do quite well in golf. I also play hockey with
non-amputees.
But for the time being, it is neither about golf nor motorcycle. It’s all about hockey and winning a gold medal in front of a partisan crowd.
Written by: Sportcom for Défi sportif
