Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team plus Liza Puri and Mégane Ravary joining National Team in 2025: Celebrating the Future of Boccia
Ottawa, ON (January 16, 2025) – Boccia Canada is thrilled to unveil its 2025 Espoir Team, showcasing a group of rising stars poised to make their mark on the national and, potentially, international stage thereafter. The roster reflects the tremendous skill and hard work of boccia athletes from across the country. In addition, two new National Team Members join the group of eight already announced last week to round out the team competing this year for their country against the best in the world.
The 2025 Boccia Espoir National Team includes:
- Andrew Woodrow, BC4 Male, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Carter Plumb, BC3 Male, Ontario
- Fatima Abderamane, BC3 Female, Quebec
- Jim Davis, BC2 Male, Ontario
- Joe Philpott, BC1 Male, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Josh Gautier, BC3 Male, Ontario
- Kyle Scott, BC1 Male, Ontario
These athletes delivered impressive performances in 2024, with several earning noteworthy results at their first national competitions ever, which included Défi sportif AlterGo National Open, Boccia Blast National Open, and the Canadian Boccia Championships. The 2025 season presents an exciting opportunity for this talented group to continue their development and gain valuable experience working with the Boccia Canada coaches in training and competing internationally.
The coaches expressed their enthusiasm for 2025, with Espoir Coach, Simon Larouche stating: “While many of these athletes are relatively new to the international scene, we are hopeful for them to showcase their skills and continue building momentum for Canadian boccia. We are confident this group can rise to the occasion in 2025.”
In addition to the Espoir Team, Boccia Canada is delighted to announce the inclusion of two new athletes on the National Team for 2025:
- Liza Puri (London, ON), new to the team, who captured a bronze at her first-ever Canadian Championships in November 2024
- Mégane Ravary (Montréal, QC), who is also making her debut on the National Boccia Team
This 2025 squad of 17 National and Espoir Team athletes underscores the growing depth within the Canadian Boccia program. With a mix of veterans, skilled talent, and determined newcomers the 2025 Canadian Boccia Team is ready to take the world stage and inspire the next generation of athletes across Canada.
“I played boccia off and on for ten years but retired due to medical challenges. I came out of retirement in 2023, healthy and hungry to compete. I feel proud to have won a medal at my first national level competition ever, competing for Team Ontario. I take my role as an athlete very seriously but love playing my favourite sport! I had tears of happiness running down my face at Nationals. I was super proud of myself, after everything I’ve gone through,” said Puri.
To learn more about Puri’s journey in parasport, including her bronze-medal success at the 2024 Canadian Boccia Championships, read this CBC article that was recently published here. Other great pieces on breakthrough athletes can be found here in releases published at the Canadian Championships last November.
Learn more about the National Boccia Team here and find all media releases here. Follow Boccia Canada on Facebook for all updates about national and international competition here!
About Boccia Canada
Boccia Canada is the boccia delivery arm of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA), the National Sport Organization for the Paralympic sport of boccia. Boccia Canada is focused on providing athletes and individuals of all ages and skill with the chance to play a unique Paralympic sport. We lead, develop and grow boccia from grassroots to producing World Champions, and we collaborate with partners to increase participation of Canadians with physical disabilities in sport.
About boccia
Boccia is a Paralympic sport of precision and strategy similar to lawn bowling or curling, played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and related disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart. Athletes compete in one of six sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3 BC4, BC5, and Open.
Media Contact
Holly Janna
Communications Lead and National Team Coordinator, Boccia Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 613-748-1430 x3 | Cell: 514-944-5193