EZ Lite Cruiser sponsors Marco Dispaltro
EZ Lite Cruiser was a proud sponsor of Marco Dispaltro for the 2015 Parapan Am Games held in Toronto, Canada. Close to 1,600 Athletes and 250,000 visitors from around the world converged on Toronto for the Pam Am/Parapan Am Games from August 7th to the 15th. Marco holds a #1 world ranking in his classification before entering the 2015 season, while being almost twice the age of most of his competitors. Some in the boccia ball circuit even call him the "Intimidator", being that he is a world champion and likely the most resented man in wheelchair boccia.
Dispaltro actually got his start in sports with wheelchair rugby and tennis, but his Becker Muscular Dystrophy (diagnosed at age 14) sidelined those activities. It's a degenerative condition that has taken away his triceps, biceps, abdominal, shoulder and leg muscles. Nothing, though, has taken his competitiveness and will to win. The 47 year-old started boccia in 2010 and won the silver in singles at the 2011 Parapan Am Games in Guadalajara Mexico. He then won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Paralympics in the mixed pairs category.
The Opening Ceremony was held on August 7th, 2015 at the CIBC Pan Am / Parapan Am Athletics Stadium at York University, the same stadium where the track and field events occurred. 24 Nations in total competed at this year's games. A colourful and energetic Opening Ceremony, celebrating the unity of cultures of the continent, the flag of the host country was raised by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Ontario Provincial Police. Canada’s heritage was on show throughout the duration of the event, celebrating the country’s four ancestral nations - The Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, the Huron-Wendat First Nation, the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Métis Nation of Ontario.
Marco went onto win the silver medal in the mixed pairs group for Boccia Ball. Canada finished 2nd overall for Boccia Ball, and also finished second overall in the Parapan Am Games with 168 Medals (50 Gold, 63 Silver, and 55 Bronze).
Check out 17 astonishing shots from the 2015 Parapan Am Games