Sitting volleyball saved Canada's Voss-Shafiq after amputation — now, she wants to bump it forward
CBC
For many, sport is a way to connect people and community.
But for Paralympian Felicia Voss-Shafiq, sitting volleyball saved her emotionally and kept her connected to a sport she deeply loves.
Born in Fiji, Voss-Shafiq moved to Canada from the U.S. in 2001. She joined a local volleyball league and immediately fell in love. In 2011, a vicious case of pneumonia caused septic shock, leading Voss-Shafiq's legs to be amputated, though doctors were able to save her arms.
She was devastated.
A friend advised her to try sitting volleyball. And she fell in love with volleyball — again. But this time, sitting.
Voss-Shafiq, 44, has been part of Canada's sitting volleyball team since 2015 and is set to compete in her third Paralympics. As a seasoned player, she's watched the Para sport grow and been part of a team that came fourth in Tokyo and now has its sights on the podium. The Canadian women won silver at the 2023 world championships in Cairo, Egypt and are going into this tournament in Paris with confidence and conviction.
Including Voss-Shafiq, the team of 12 has nine returning members from Tokyo 2020.
Lisa Tam is the regional coach for British Columbia and responsible for the training of both Voss-Shafiq and captain Danielle Ellis. According to Tam, Voss-Shafiq is a key reason the team went from seventh at the 2016 Rio Paralympics to fourth at Tokyo 2020.
Beyond her contributions on the court, Tam says that Voss-Shafiq has made an incredible impact on the community by working with Vancouver's GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre and volunteering.
Her journey has been as a stalwart in the program and as an ambassador of the game.
She makes time for the Amputee Coalition of Canada Peer Visitor Program, which connects experienced amputees to others who are facing amputation. There can be recent amputees who struggle with being able to participate in sport at all and are recovering from trauma. Voss-Shafiq helps them, mentors them and can empathize and truly understand what they are experiencing.
Voss-Shafiq is the eldest member of the team and one of her contributions is to be able to assert that one can compete at the highest level of sport. Tam says that Voss-Shafiq models resiliency and determination.
"There is hope and opportunity even after life-altering illnesses," Tam says of Voss-Shafiq. "She embodies that as humans we can adapt and grow throughout our journey in life."
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