A Paralympic Preview - Declan Farmer (Ice Hockey)

Born with a congenital limb deficiency, Declan Farmer had to have both legs amputated at an early age, and he first learned to walk using prosthetic limbs. An avid sports fan for as long as he can remember, Farmer sought out opportunities to test his natural athletic ability. He found his niche in sled hockey, a variation of ice hockey using a sled instead of skates and requiring two sticks with a pick on each end to propel the sled across the ice and hit the puck. From the first time he got on a sled at age 8, Farmer’s talent was apparent, and he has even been compared to ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. He competed on the Tampa Bay Lightning Sled Hockey Team from 2007 to 2013, and he has been part of the US national team since 2012. His extensive experience, competitive nature, and natural athletic ability means he is not at all flustered by travel and intense competition. 

In 2014 at the age of 16, Farmer competed in the Winter Paralympics in Sochi where he assisted in leading the team to a gold medal, and now in 2018, at age 20, he is poised to lead Team USA to another gold! Following the Paralympics, Farmer plans to return to Princeton where he is studying for a degree in economics. But he plans to return again and again to lead team USA to a gold medal in sled hockey in future Paralympics!

Declan pushes himself to the limit in his sport, just like the many of the people we help at NTI who strive to get back into the workplace. If you are on SSI or SSDI and would like to explore the job services NTI provides, visit NTI at goo.gl/UakTrW.  It only takes about 5 minutes to register.