Wheelchair rugby star Rio Kanda Kovac aims for redemption despite mounting injuries

Rio Kanda Kovac, 23, is Canada's top wheelchair rugby talent and the country's youngest Paralympian, yet the Toronto athlete is increasingly sidelined by injuries that threaten to derail what could be a decades-long career.

During the first game of the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby National Championships in Birmingham, Alabama in April, Kovac suffered his third concussion. Wearing his green camo Boise Bombers jersey, he was driving his wheelchair up the court when a rival from the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch team cut him off and slammed his chair from the side. The momentum sent Kovac's chair into a half-spin, tipping backward and landing with force. His head hit the hard wooden gym floor.

"I'm out," Kovac said quietly, rolling off the court. His father, Nick Kovac, worries the repeated injuries will shorten a career that has only just begun. "It's going to be short if he continues to get injured," Nick said.

At 16, Kovac became Canada's youngest-ever wheelchair rugby team member, playing alongside athletes more than twice his age. At 21, he represented Canada at his first Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024. As a carded elite athlete financially supported through the federal Athlete Assistance Program, he could enjoy a very long career—if he stays healthy.

But the past couple of years have been painful for reasons beyond the physical. Some of Team Canada's star players have retired. A beloved coach and mentor passed away. New coaches have stepped in. Earlier this year, Kovac had a nasty fight with a teammate. Heading into August's World Championship in São Paulo, Brazil, Kovac estimates the potential for Canada to earn a medal is "grim." "Vibes are low," he said.