After Canada鈥檚 historic medal haul at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Canadian Paralympic athletes are hoping for similar success.
Fifty-five athletes are competing on Team Canada during the games, which kicked off Friday in Pyeongchang. It is the largest contingent ever to compete under the maple leaf.
Canada had a successful first day, with 20-year-old Mac Marcoux of Sault Ste. Marie racing to gold in the men鈥檚 visually impaired downhill race.
Earlier in the day, Mollie Jepsen of Whistler, B.C. captured bronze in the women鈥檚 downhill standing event, earning Canada鈥檚 first medal of the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.
When the athletes marched into Pyeongchang Stadium for the opening ceremonies, they were led by Brian McKeever, a decorated Paralympian with 10 gold medals. These Winter Games mark his fifth time competing for Canada.
The 10-day event represents the world鈥檚 biggest celebration of athletes living with disabilities. Linda Soulliere of the Coalition for Persons with Disabilities hopes spectators learn to look at the athletes through a new lens.
"It kind of shifts the attitudes of other people so that they can say, wow, the things that can be done, rather than look at what they can't do,鈥� Soulliere said.
Among those spectators is Matthew Fleet, a competitive swimmer and quadriplegic who is excited to cheer on Team Canada. He hopes other Canadians will watch the games and take away a greater sense of the effort that goes into competing -- and simply living -- with a disability.
"Our society, we are still not a fully accessible society,鈥� he said.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Peter Akman
