About me

I am an academic and was a professional BC regional wheelchair basketball coach for 6 years. I have taught at both public and private universities in Canada for 37 years in the field of political science, focusing on political philosophy, jurisprudence, law and politics, constitutional law and Canadian and American politics. I gained my DPhil from Oxford and have recognized the value of learning through a mixture of reading, lectures and student practical learning through role-playing in political decision-making scenarios like Canadian First Ministers’ Conferences and the UN Security Council. I retired from teaching at Trinity Western University in the summer of 2019 and am now enjoying more time to read and write on subjects I am interested in.

My early coaching wheelchair basketball players in the late 90s introduced me to the world of sport where achievement is measured by how far you can push yourself given certain restrictions and disabilities. Teaching young elementary school kids how to play wheelchair basketball regardless of their disability has been the most satisfying experience in coaching. The will and desire to play sports like their fellow classmates has been an example of perseverance.

After my Pompe diagnosis in February 2011, I have used my wheelchair basketball players as an example to not let my rare disease determine my future. Those young kids have challenged me to always push the envelope. If someone insists I should lower my goals, that is a challenge to succeed at the more difficult. My health remains stable and I participate where I can in research into a better understanding of Pompe disease. Without active patient input, scientific research is limited.