A GMC dealership in Castlegar, B.C., has donated a leased truck to Joines for the last four years. Complete with a life-size action shot emblazoned on both sides, it often makes appearances in local parades and festivals.
But no matter how much support and sponsorship she was able to obtain, Joines’ 2010 Paralympics dreams wouldn’t go according to her best laid plans.
On a routine trip to Kelowna for an appointment in early February, Joines fell from her wheelchair and broke her right hip just five and a half weeks before the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver.
“This injury is absolutely heartbreaking to me; a very unfortunate accident. I feel particularly horrible for those sponsors, friends and members of my hometown community that have supported me over the years with intention of pushing me towards success in the 2010 Paralympics,” Joines wrote in a letter to her supporters in February.
With the help of some non-invasive state of the art electrotherapy called SCENAR (self-controlled energo-neuro-adaptive regulator), she held out hope that she would still be able to compete in the Slalom event, which was originally scheduled for March 21.
Due to weather concerns at Whistler Creekside, the Para-Alpine events were rescheduled and the Slalom event was moved to March 14, leaving Joines out of the competition.
“I am especially heartbroken because I may not be able to represent Rossland and my sponsors, and the large community of supporters who have taken a personal interest in my journey, and would share a part of any medals that I brought home. More than anything I wanted to make them proud,” Joines wrote in her blog.
A truly heartbreaking turn of events, but keep an eye out for Joines in four years. She’s going to continue to compete.
“This is another bump in the road, but not the end of the line. Bring on Sochi 2014… I’ll be ready!”
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