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PHOTOS: Kady Dandeneau reminisces UNBC basketball, inspires current athletes to stay resilient

Canadian Paralympian says Prince George school also shaped her career academically
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

For the first time in its history, the UNBC Legacy Breakfast welcomed a keynote speaker with roots to the school that go beyond the court.

Alumna Kady Dandeneau returned to Prince George months after leading Canada’s national wheelchair basketball team to a 2019 ParaPanAm gold medal over the United States in Peru, qualifying them to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics, and delivered her story about recovery, resurgence and resilience.

After a torn ACL, damaged MCL and a fractured femur, stemming from her 2010 season with UNBC’s women’s team, forced her to end her stand-up career, she transitioned into wheelchair basketball and is now considered to be one of the sport’s top athletes in the world.

So when the opportunity came for Dandeneau to return to B.C.’s north and catch up with the program, she didn’t hesitate. 

“I love UNBC, I love this program, I love this city, Prince George, so when I was asked to come back it was a huge honour and, of course, I was like ‘Absolutely, anything to make it happen, let’s do it.’ You get so much support from anyone, there were so many great athletes here today.”

She also credits her academic success to her former professors that helped her along her collegiate career.

When asked by PrinceGeorgeMatters, she explained the UNBC biomedical classroom is still helping her in her current studies at the University of Illinois in working towards her masters in kinesiology.

“One of the things that kind of stands out was every single university professor I ever had was really supportive of the fact that I was a student-athlete,” said Dandeneau. 

“We’d be travelling and missing stuff and they were always really supportive of that. They were never like ‘Oh, well you need to be in class,’ it was, like, ‘Okay, we totally understand and we’re going to make adjustments to that you’re succeeding in class and on the court.’ UNBC was so great for that. UNBC, I think, it’s just unparalleled compared to all the other places I’ve been.”

She followed the UNBC Lady T-Wolves via social media this past season, which ended in a quarter-finals loss to Calgary, but won nine straight games prior with only six healthy players.

Dandeneau was more than impressed with the program’s progression since her graduation, believing they’ve embraced the philosophy of never giving up when the going gets tough.

“I’m just super proud to say that I was a Timberwolf and to be represented by them, the current Timberwolf athletes, is just amazing,” she said.

“They’ve come so far and they’ve made such a big impact. They’re not a team you can take lightly. They’ve challenged and pushed top programs in the country. I can’t wait to see what they continue to do; there’s so many bright futures in our student-athletes.”

Dandeneau will soon be touring North America and Europe for wheelchair basketball matches with countries she’ll likely face at the 2020 Paralympics, including the United States.

While plans remain to compete for as long as possible, if life presents her with the opportunity to return to Prince George and coach at UNBC, she said it would be a big honour.

“I think that would be awesome, I would love to. Maybe one day in the future when I can’t be an athlete anymore; I’ve always wanted to stay involved in the game. I love wheelchair basketball but I do miss a lot about stand up, so having that kind of outlet would be great.”

Dandeneau also briefly addressed the global coronavirus outbreak and how it could potentially impact the Tokyo Paralympics.

“Before Rio, they had Zika,” she stated, “So, you know, we’re just kind of taking it as it goes.”

The sixth UNBC Legacy Breakfast brought in hundreds of benefactors, UNBC alumni and community organizations to listen to Dandeneau’s story and raise money for student-athlete scholarships.

It also celebrated the Timberwolves’ accomplishments from respective 2019-20 seasons, as well as its graduating players.