Receiving a call from his coach to help mentor a kids program was nothing out of the ordinary for Vincent Li, a Richmond Special Olympics medalist.
But little did Li know, he was about to be surprised with a trip to see his dream hockey team.
“I had a call from my coach from the Special Olympics Committee and she told me to come down to help her with the kids program at Rogers Arena,” said Li.
“I said of course I could go there to help her out.”
When the floor hockey athlete met with his coach, Li learned he was named an Air Canada Community Champion, through the Air Canada Fan Fight Program, for his efforts in helping and mentoring young athletes over the past 10 years.
In addition he received a fully paid trip to watch the Vancouver Canucks, his favourite NHL team, play live in Toronto on Mar. 6.
“The trip was amazing and everything was beyond my expectation,” said Li, noting that the Vancouver Canucks beat the NHL-leading Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 during the game.
In a statement, Air Canada described Li as a dedicated and caring athlete and is an accomplished floor hockey medalist at the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Games.
“Vincent is exceptionally strong at connecting and motivating people. He leads both by example; always going above and beyond himself and with his personal touch, read the Air Canada statement.
“He can always be counted on to contact fellow athletes to encourage them to get involved with different initiatives, and he supports them personally all the way.”
Li hope his journey as an athlete can inspire more community members to find ways to lift each other up through volunteering.
“I love being involved in the community and I had so much fun,” he said.
Since 2015, the Air Canada Fan Fight program has rewarded NHL and NBA fans that have contributed to their communities across Canada.
