On the evening of Saturday, June 7th, Darryl Tait headed out for a training ride on his handcycle. While traveling southbound on the Alaska Highway enroute to the Miles Canyon Road, he was struck by a vehicle from behind. Thanks to the help of other drivers who came upon the scene, emergency responders arrived and transferred Darryl to Whitehorse General Hospital.

Only the previous evening, Darryl had attended the first official meeting of the Yukon’s cycling team for the Canada Summer Games in St. John’s in August. He was selected to compete in the Individual Time Trial and Road Race para cycling events.

This was to be a watershed sporting moment for both Darryl and the territory. For the Yukon, it was to mark the first time a para athlete competed in the Canada Summer Games. For Darryl, it meant an opportunity to test himself at the national level 13 years after he first tried a handcycle. It also marked his return to the Games, where he participated as a snowboarder two years before the accident that paralyzed him.

Darryl is still being assessed by medical staff and the full nature of his injuries is not yet clear. His L2 vertebrae and some ribs are broken. One of his arms is paralyzed, but the doctors believe it could potentially be temporary. While there is reason for hope, there is also a stark possibility that the mobility and independence that Darryl has worked so hard to achieve as a paraplegic could be seriously compromised.

What is also unclear right now are the circumstances in which he was hit. The RCMP are seeking information and witnesses to the scene and will hopefully have more to share with Darryl soon.

What IS clear is that major rehabilitation and associated medical and incidental expenses lay ahead for Darryl and his family. All of this would be difficult enough for anyone to recover from, but Darryl's paralysis makes it that much harder.

Darryl's much hoped return to cycling will depend not only successful rehabilitation but also the replacement of his handcycle, which was damaged on impact and then cut apart so that responders could safely evacuate him from the accident scene. These state-of-the-art machines cost in the order of $25,000 CDN.

Darryl’s enthusiasm, excellence and passion for sport is already an inspiration to so many, and he has overcome stiff odds before. To ensure he and his family can focus on his recovery and tackling this new challenge, Darryl’s Canada Summer Games team is inviting his broader “Team Yukon” of friends, colleagues, and community members to extend their financial support at this time. As Darryl and his family’s needs become clearer in the coming weeks, we hope to keep you updated.

Darryl, we’re honoured to be part of your team and are with you all the way.