Meet Adaptive Athlete: Chase Nicklin

Chase grew up in Port Alberni, British Columbia, where he played sled hockey, golf, and rode dirt bikes. He also enjoys fishing and swimming. His brothers introduced him to snowboarding as a kid, and he is now part of Team Canada’s Para Nextgen Program, riding in competitions across the world. In 2024, he had four 1st-place finishes at SBX Europa cups.

 

At 16 years old, Chase was riding his dirt bike one day when he lost control and collided head-on with a truck. He was airlifted to the hospital and was in a coma for 10 days. He broke several bones in the accident and ended up with an infection in his left leg, leading to a below-knee amputation. The infection continued to spread, so the medical team proceeded with an above-knee amputation a month later in an effort to control the disease. His recovery process was tough. He was not progressing the way he wanted to in a typical physical rehab program, so he began doing more outdoor activities such as hiking in order to challenge himself more. His friends and family supported him through both his physical and mental journey as he recovered post-amputation.

 

Chase’s big goal is to qualify for the 2026 Paralympics in snowboarding, and believes his time at ATF will be a huge step in reaching that goal. He wants to become physically stronger and have a higher strength-to-bodyweight ratio. Mentally, Chase is striving to feel more confident in himself as he stands in his prosthetic.