Jordon Dycke, left, and Stu Wymer compete on the rugby court.
L-359’s Dycke seeks spot on national team
PHYSICALLY DISABLING INJURIES suffered by two Local 359 (Vancouver, British Columbia) members have not kept them from competing in the rough-and-tumble game of rugby — and the generosity of other Boilermakers is supporting a big dream for one of the members.
Jordon Dycke and Stu Wymer both lost their ability to walk after separate vehicle accidents. Wheelchair sports allow the two men to continue being active and competitive.
Dycke, whose 2006 accident left him with fused vertebrae in his neck, has been playing wheelchair rugby for six years and is trying out for the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Team. L-359 Executive Board member G’onn Giese has led fundraising efforts to make sure Dycke can compete at a high level. Two years ago, Boilermakers on one job raised over $23,000 to support Dycke and Wymer.
L-359 members continue to collect money so that Dycke has an opportunity to represent his country and his union on the world stage.
Dycke now trains five days a week in Victoria, British Columbia, a one-hour trip from his home on Vancouver Island. He works with a top trainer in the sport. “None of this would have been available to me without the help of my Boilermaker brothers and sisters,” Dycke said.
Many are pulling for Dycke to succeed, said Joe Maloney, International Vice President for Western Canada. “We are pleased to support Jordon in reaching his goal. It is an enormous honor to represent one’s country, and the Boilermakers want to see him get there.”
