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Langley's Johnson named top junior

Wheelchair basketball athlete receives honour at ceremony in Montreal
Justin Johnson, wheelchair basketball player
Langley's Justin Johnson has been named Wheelchair Basketball Canada's junior athlete of the year.

Justin Johnson has been named Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s junior athlete of the year.

The 22-year-old from Langley received the award over the weekend at a ceremony in Montreal.

Despite being only three years post-spinal cord injury, Johnson has quickly become one of wheelchair basketball’s fastest-rising stars. He recently earned a spot on the U23 Canadian men’s junior wheelchair basketballteam, which won gold at the U23 men’s Americas zone qualification tournament. Johnson hopes to one day represent Canada at a Paralympic Games.

Johnson got involved in wheelchair basketball after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a mountain biking accident in Whistler in 2010. His participation was recently chronicled in a short documentary called Bounce Back.

“Justin is one of B.C.’s hardest-working wheelchair basketball players and the results speak for themselves,” said Sian Blyth, the interim managing director at BC Wheelchair Basketball.