Voyageurs' Halladay sets new world record in the Para Rowing LTA-PD event at Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships

Laurentian Voyageurs' first year rower, Curtis Halladay, has established himself as a world class athlete by setting a new world record in the Para Rowing LTA-PD event at the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships held at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga this past weekend.

Halladay competed in the 1000m Legs Trunk and Arms Physical Disability (LTA-PD) event and was phenomenal in the water, cruising past the LTA-PD (2:57.5, Remy Taranto, France, 2012) and LTA Overall (2:59.7, Tommaso Schettino, Italy, 2013) world records in a time of 2:56.6. His finishing time was 2.49% faster than the world standard and also qualifies him for the World Indoor Rowing Championships (C.R.A.S.H B Sprints) on March 1^st at Boston University's Agganis Arena. Qualifying times for the current year's competition are calculated based on 5% of the previous year's winning times at the World Championships. 

The 20 year old Chelmsford native and Sport and Physical Education student is the first rower in Voyageurs history to accomplish the feat. After his scorching world record breaking time, he was awarded the prize of airfare to the World Indoor Rowing Championships, which is given to the top four competitors based on percentage of seconds faster than the time standard in their race category, presented by the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships committee.

There are three different sport classes within Para Rowing, including:

1)       Legs, Trunk and Arms (LTA) –athlete sits on a sliding seat and uses legs, trunk and arms to propel the boat.

2)       Trunk and Arms (TA) –athlete sits on a fixed seat with strapping across the lap and uses trunk and arms to propel the boat.

3)       Arms and Shoulders (AS) –athlete sits on a fixed seat with fixed back support with strapping across the chest and lap and uses arms and shoulders to propel the boat.

Within the Legs, Trunk and Arms (LTA) class there are three classifications, which include:

a)       Physical Disability (LTA-PD)

b)      Visual Impairment (LTA-VI)

c)       Intellectual Disability (LTA-ID)

After being injured in a serious motocross accident where Halladay cracked the head of his femur, dislocated his hip, lost part of his hamstring, and was paralyzed below his knee through his foot, he was left with a physical disability known as drop foot (also known as foot drop). There are a few causes of the disability, including damage to the peroneal nerve (leg) and paralysis of the muscles of the leg that do not allow a person to lift or flex their foot. In all causes, a person loses the ability to control the functions of their foot.

Source: Laurentian Voyaguers