Paul Rosen

2026 Sports Honouree

Looking at Paul Rosen’s portrait, captured rink side at the Ray Twinney Complex in Newmarket, Ontario, one can notice many things in the image that tell stories of strength, resilience, elite athleticism and accomplishments, but did you notice the thing that is most important to Paul himself?  Not the Olympic medal.  Not the game-winning jersey.  Not the most recently acquired (and most comfortable) leg he’s worn to date.  Look closer, at the hand sporting the championship ring, which is holding THE most important thing to Paul – his driver’s license.   To him, that single and common piece of ID represents freedom, self-reliance, sobriety and continuing to triumph over adversity.

Nothing has been easy or straightforward for Paul Rosen, but his heart has always guided him to give, and it is in this “giving” that opportunities and miracles are created.  Most definitely worth mentioning is a young man named Shayne Smith who is a quadruple amputee.  The two met at a local rink, and when Shayne turned 13, he wanted Paul to speak at his bar mitzvah.  That was more than 25 years ago, and Paul now laughs at the irony of the situation, in that he was there to speak, share and inspire the guests and the young man of honour.  “It was Shayne that changed my life.  He inspired me”.  It was a young Shayne Smith that first introduced Paul to Sledge Hockey and forever altered the course of not only Paul’s life, but also Canadian and World Paralympic Sports History.

One might think that the above accomplishments and sporting contributions are what Paul is most proud of, but that simply is not the case.  Praise, fame and fortune mean nothing without family, and as a father who is now absolutely resolved and committed to his recovery, Paul is now experiencing the greatest years of his life with his three children, Stephanie, Nikki and Sam, who today, couldn’t be more proud of the human they come from, and call, “Dad”.  Additionally, the gift of now being a Zayde to his six grandchildren (Brody, Zac, Liv, Lexi, Harrison and Levi) is more love than he ever knew possible or imagined he could deserve – this is Paul’s true legacy and pride.

Over the last 18 years, Paul has given more than 1,200 talks and visited more than 300 schools across Canada.  An accomplished sportscaster, covering events all over the world, Paul is also an advocate and ally supporting many community events organizations, giving talks and his time to CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), The Salvation Army, Stop Concussions, All Sport One Day, Sport Aurora, March of Dimes, Rotary Club, Easter Seals and more.  In 2021 Paul’s book, “Never Give Up” was published, and he continues to live each day with intention to be, and do good.  For more information or to book Paul for an upcoming event please visit www.PaulRosen.ca

Story Credit:

Meave Mastracci is the Owner of Ascend Services and a community-focused writer with over 25 years of experience helping local businesses grow. She specializes in community engagement, community give-back initiatives, and improving online presence through social media marketing, website design, Google verification and management, and the development of printed promotional materials. Her work—both in writing and business—champions good people, good businesses, and good organizations.  Contact: mmastracci@ascendalliance.ca