CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE DECEMBER ISSUE | Page 45

Pushing Limits for
Disabled Bodybuilders
By: Jenelle Jensen
So, wheelchair or no wheelchair, he set out
to be a bodybuilder – and he gives much of
the credit for his success to his parents, who
supported and pushed him past his physical
limitations.
Jack McCann rolls up to the table, adjusts
his legs, and settles into his chair. A baggy
dark sweater can’t hide the strength of his
arms. He has grey hair, is confined to a
wheelchair, and works 12 hours a day. But
he has a smile that stretches right across his
face.
McCann isn’t your average 67-year-old. He
is strong, mentally and physically. With
more than 26-years of bodybuilding behind
him, he says he doesn’t let age interfere with
his dreams.
At 18-months-old he caught polio, which
made him lose muscle control from his ribs
down.
He says he can’t remember a time before
polio, and he has accepted life for what it is.
“Both my parents were athletes,” he says.
“My father was in the air force and was a
goal tender for the Rocky Canadian Air Force
and the RCMP. My mother played soccer,
bowled, and was involved in many other
sports. Everything was athletic for both sides
of my family. They pushed me for all kinds of
sports.”