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"I started playing, and I liked it," he says simply.
His 15-year career as a player is impressive. Besides his two Paralympic gold medals, Anderson took Most Valuable Player honors and a gold in both 1997 and 2001 Junior World Championships, a bronze in 1998 Gold Cup World Championships, and has won a combined eight championships with Ontario and Twin City. He has also played in Brisbane, and currently plays for a team in Germany.
Anderson downplays his role during tournament, preferring to give credit to his teammates.
"What we did in Athens is a result of team effort," he insists. "All players worked very hard to get this result."
When he isn't dominating on basketball court, Anderson enjoys playing music. "I very much like singing and playing guitar," he says. "I have made some discussions (about a music career), but nothing is certain yet. We'll see in future."
As to that future, Anderson plans to spend some time with his family in Canada before returning to play in Germany. Though he is thrilled to have won two Paralympic medals, he has an even bigger agenda: promoting Wheelchair Basketball.
"Our goal as a team was to play well," he says. "We wanted people to see our success, realize what Wheelchair Basketball is all about and take it to next level, hoping that other teams will follow. "I think we did that here, and I am proud of it."
------------------------------------------------- For complete coverage of 2004 Paralympic Games, visit: http://www.athens2004.com/en/ -------------------------------------------------
Stephen Michael Kerr is the publisher of Adaptive Sports & Recreation, a free ezine devoted to sports for people with disabilities. To read previous issues, visit: http://archives.zinester.com/41809