Waterloo athlete is hoping to make his mark on the world stage next week at the 2013 Special Olympics world winter games.
In just a few days, Brian Wetzler, 35, will be strapping on his snowshoes, halfway across the world to represent Canada.
This year's games will be hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Thousands of athletes from 120 countries will be competing in seven winter sports.
“I’m going to watch them, I’m going to pace behind them, and then I’m going to try to pass them.” says Wetzler.
It’s a can-do attitude his mother Julie Wetzler says he's always had, despite being born with an intellectual disability. He struggles with reading, writing and speech.
“At the age of 3 he didn’t talk. and now you cant stop him from talking.” says Julie
His mother, who is also the head coach for the snowshoe team, helps him stay on track. Brian has a full time job but he still finds time to find time to go to the gym and to train.
He spends at least 6 hours a week running on the track.
This year it has been difficult practicing in snowshoes, because there hasn't been much snow.
"Some of my athletes has been training on sand at the beach, because they live near the beach. brian just runs wherever." says Julie.
The dynamic mother son duo will board a plane next Thursday for Vancouver, and then on wards to South Korea.
Wetzler has already won two gold medals at last year's Special Olympics Canada winter games, for the 5 and 10 kilometer snowshoe races.
