National AccessAbility Week with Greg Stewart: A Paralympic Gold Medalist

From May 25- 31 we are celebrating National AccessAbility Week. We’re amplifying the voices of athletes with disabilities, as well as furthering our commitment of making BC sport more diverse, inclusive, and accessible. Greg Stewart’s story is a powerful example of how shifting perspectives on disability can open doors—not just in sport, but in how we understand each other.

Greg Stewart has made a powerful impact in his athletic career. Standing at 7‑feet‑2 and born missing his left arm below the elbow, Greg defied expectations to become a two-time Paralympian and double gold medalist in F46 Shot Put, winning gold at both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

His introduction to sport began in grade 8 in Whitehorse, Yukon, when he started playing basketball and volleyball as a way to connect with others. “I was born with one arm below the elbow—and by the time I was 14, I was already 6‑feet‑8,” Greg recalls, making it harder for him to connect with others. “I saw sport as a way to fit in—a space where I could connect with others and possibly feel a sense of belonging.”

That desire to connect led him to incredible places in his sport journey. At just 15, Greg joined Canada’s national volleyball team for athletes with disabilities. He would go on to win three world championships and a World Cup. Later, he played university basketball at Thompson Rivers University, competing as an able-bodied athlete. Sport became a constant in his life, but his relationship with it continued to evolve.

“When I started playing on our national team at the age of 15, sport came naturally to me because of my athleticism and my height,” Greg shares. “But a big reason I joined sport was because, like many people with a disability, I wanted to feel a sense of belonging. The problem was—I had it mixed up with fitting in. I was doing what people told me would make me feel connected, chasing their version of belonging.”

It wasn’t until Greg finished playing university basketball at 24 that he realized how lost he felt. “I was so focused on fitting in, on chasing what others told me would bring belonging, that I lost sight of myself,” he says. “I ended up taking two courses in personal empowerment that helped me finally create a sense of belonging from within—not from what others told me, but from what I told myself.”

Everything changed when Greg discovered shot put at age 30. “Shot put became my gateway to experiencing sport in its most joyful and loving form,” he says. “It was the first sport I participated in for me. It was the first time I truly felt a sense of belonging, because I loved myself—and I was doing it for me.”

His journey in sport has shaped who he is, not just as an athlete, but as a person. “Without sport, I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” he shares. “It’s taught me the value of failure, the power of community, and the importance of showing up fully as myself.”

For Greg, the challenges of living with a disability haven’t come from his own abilities, but from how others perceive disability.

“I’ve come to understand that disability often leads to different treatment,” he says. “That label becomes the lens through which others view us. It’s frustrating because it means the world often overlooks our abilities in favour of our limitations.”

Having one arm has meant adapting to daily tasks—like tying his shoes—but Greg sees these differences as strengths, not barriers.

“The technique might be different, but the outcome is the same. And that’s the point,” he says. “If you believe you can do something and you put in the effort, then that’s what matters. The process, the path, the way you get there—it’s yours.”

Looking ahead, Greg’s goal is to keep doing what he loves—training with purpose and throwing shot put. “If all goes well,” he says, “I’ll be competing at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.”

Greg is also focused on inspiring others beyond the sport world through his motivational speaking business, The Mindfulete. Drawing from his own experience, he shares how embracing vulnerability, persistence, and self-belief can lead to a more joyful, connected, and meaningful life.

Greg’s message to others living with a disability and looking to find their place in sport is one of encouragement and self-acceptance.

“We all face struggles. We all have strengths. Your disability doesn’t make you less—it makes you uniquely you. It’s a part of your story, not the whole story. Go out there. Live boldly. Have the best time of your life. And no matter what anyone says, always remember this: You are worthy. You are enough. Just as you are.”