Nico Iemma Wins “Junior Athlete of the Year” Award

ParaSport® Ontario Athlete of the Year awards are bestowed based on outstanding effort in improving their skill and their contribution in growing their sport or activity. The award will be presented at The Power Within online event. Nico was chosen because of his selfless dedication to connecting with the community and potential PO members, engaging them in activities and generally for the strong contribution he continues to make to the parasport community.

Nico “Ironman” Iemma is still in elementary school but his age has yet to stop him. His drive and passion for sport led him to create the Boccia Busters program for athletes in the Region of Durham. Like many parents, the Iemma’s knew their son liked sport but they did not have parasport experience to know what options were available. One day Nico saw Boccia on TV and that got him started.

One of Nico’s favourite stories is that when he competed at the Ontario ParaSport Games in Durham his entire class came out to cheer him on. Nico states, “I think that parasport has really changed me for the better, and it is a great opportunity for all kids with disabilities to play sports. Thank you so much for this award… Boccia has given me a sport that I can not only participate in but be really good at.”

The Junior Athlete of the Year award will be presented to Nico on February 18th, 2021 during The Power Within celebration, ParaSport® Ontario’s first online event. The event is a celebration for the release of a legacy publication titled The Power of ParaSport, a written history of parasports spanning five decades and detailing the visionaries, pioneers, milestones, and athletes in Ontario. The night will be attended by award winners and special guests including professional speaker Alvin Law, trainer and advocate Johannah Jackson, singer-song writer Justin Hines, and Paralympian Jeff Adams.