<div>Hi, I’m Rio Kanda Kovac, and I play wheelchair rugby for Team Canada. I’ve just returned from São Paulo, Brazil, where our team won bronze at the WWR Americas Championship, qualifying for the 2026 World Championships.
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<div><strong>But I need your help to keep going.</strong>
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<div>My current chair has taken a beating over the past few seasons. It’s too small, bent from heavy hits, and nearing the end of its life. To keep playing — and stay safe — I need to raise $17,000 CAD for a new chair and a custom-molded seat.
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<div>Why This Matters
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<div>During the semifinals in Brazil, I broke my finger. I felt a sharp pain shoot through my hand — I knew right away it was broken. But I couldn’t walk away. I taped it up, pulled my gloves on, and kept playing because that’s what my team needed.
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<div><strong><em>“Rugby made me accept my own disability and thrive."</em></strong>
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<div>Before rugby, I was the kid sitting on the sidelines during school sports. I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects the nerves in my arms and legs. But everything changed when I watched the Para-Pan Am Games in Toronto in 2015. I was 12 years old. A year later, I saved up and bought my first rugby chair. At 14, I competed for the first time in Chiba, Japan. At 15, I was training with Team Canada.
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<div>Now I’ve played internationally, trained in Japan, earned a rugby scholarship to the University of Arizona, and proudly represented Canada at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
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<div>---
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<div>Why This Chair Is So Important
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<div>Wheelchair rugby is high-impact and high-performance. We hit hard, turn fast, and push our gear to the limit. I’ve outgrown my current chair, and it’s no longer safe or effective for elite play.
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<div>This new setup will give me a huge boost:
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<div>1. A custom carbon fiber bucket seat, molded in Japan, will act like a prosthesis — improving my balance, posture, and turning power.
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<div>2. A new rugby chair, custom-built in New Zealand, will be optimized for speed, durability, and international play.
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<div><em>I’ll be the first athlete on Team Canada and outside of Japan to use this advanced seating system.</em>
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<div>Team Canada athletes pay for their own chairs and seats — we don’t receive government funding for equipment.
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<div>---
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<div>What I’m Fundraising For
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<div>| Item | Estimated Cost |
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<div>| --------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
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<div>| Custom rugby chair (New Zealand) | $11,000 |
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<div>| Custom carbon fiber bucket seat (Japan) | $4,500 |
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<div>| Shipping, travel, and fitting | $1,500 |
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<div>| Total | $17,000 CAD |
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<div>Every donation — big or small — gets me closer to competing with the world’s best.
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<div>If you’re not in a position to give, I’d still be incredibly grateful if you shared this campaign with your network.
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<div>---
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<div>What’s Next
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<div>My goal is to represent Canada again at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
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<div>I train four days a week with Team Canada. I study business. I hope to coach one day and help inspire the next generation of disabled athletes to get in the game.
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<div>This new chair is the next step on that journey. Thank you for helping me stay on the court — for my team, my country, and every kid who’s ever felt left out like I once did.
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<div>Thank you for believing in me.
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<div><br />
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<div>—
</div>
<div>Rio Kanda Kovac
</div>
<div>Team Canada, Wheelchair Rugby
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>---
</div>

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Help Me Stay in the Game: New Wheelchair Rugby Chair Needed

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Help Me Stay in the Game: New Wheelchair Rugby Chair Needed

Still $2,981 to go. Help us build momentum.