When Yanick Racicot first discovered wheelchair rugby in 2011, he was simply looking for a new challenge.

Already playing wheelchair basketball, he came across the sport after seeing former team captain and current Team Canada head coach Trevor Hirschfield on television.

“I saw T-Bone (Hirschfield) in a commercial on TV. I thought, ‘That looks cool. I want to try it.'”

Racicot reached out to Parasports Québec, who connected him with his local club in Montreal.

“After my first practice, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m kind of good at this. Or I could be good at this.’ So I just kept going.”

Five months later, he earned a spot on the national team at 21-years-old. Over the next 14 years, Racicot became a staple of Canada’s national program, regularly competing as a part of the development program and helping grow the sport at home. Last year, Racicot was recognized as Best in Class (1.5) at the 2025 Americas Championships and picked up a bronze medal at the event, which served as Team Canada’s qualifying pathway for World Championships.

For many athletes in Montréal, Racicot was one of the first people they met when they came to try wheelchair rugby. Among them were current Team Canada teammates Maxime Drolet-Gauthier, Anthony Létourneau, Jean-Philippe Côté-Nadon, Jean-François Huneault and Mélanie Labelle.

“I was at all their first practices, showing them the ropes and telling them, ‘You could be good at this if you put in time on the court.’ Now they’re all on the national team,” Racicot recalls.

The growth of the sport in Montreal is something Racicot has witnessed firsthand, as the program has evolved through the development and involvement of more national team athletes over the years. Now the city serves as a major hub for high-performance wheelchair rugby.

“It’s really nice. It brought up the quality of play in Montréal. Practices are more organized, players know what to do, and it feeds into new upcoming people that are practicing with us,” said Racicot.

Even after more than a decade with Team Canada, the thirty-five-year-old has never stopped learning from those around him. Throughout his career, he has looked to veterans like Mike Whitehead, Garett Hickling, Jared Funk and Patrice Simard, asking questions and learning from them.

“They have so much knowledge and so much experience. I always looked up to them and asked as many questions as I could.”

Racicot also credits former team captains Patrice ‘Pico’ Dagenais, and Trevor Hirschfield as being some of the most impactful figures on his career;

“They had a big impact on my journey. As teammates, and as people that I could rely on, they were able to take the stress out of me when I was on the court. They were empowering.”

Despite years representing Canada and contributing to the national program, one milestone had remained just out of reach.

São Paulo will mark Racicot’s first appearance at the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships.

After missing selection for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, earning a place on Canada’s World Championship roster is a moment more than a decade in the making.

“I was disappointed not to make the team for Paris. But now I feel like I have a good shot for LA 2028. I’m still going to work hard to earn my spot, even though I’m here. It’s not given.”

For more than a decade, Racicot has helped grow wheelchair rugby in Montreal while representing Canada on the international stage. This August, he’ll add another milestone to that journey as he makes his long-awaited World Championship debut alongside many of the athletes he once welcomed to the sport.