A familiar face will help lead the way for the Canadian Paralympic team at Wednesday's opening ceremony.
Fergus native Patrick Anderson has been named one of the two flag bearers for Canada, as announced by the Canadian Paralympic Committee Tuesday morning.
Veteran para swimmer Katarina Roxon is the other flag bearer.
Anderson is going into his sixth and final Paralympic Games for wheelchair basketball, and considered one of the best to ever play the game.
He has three Paralympic gold medals (2000, 2004, 2012) and a silver (2008). The 45-year-old said it is a big honour and a special thing to be named flag bearer.
"This is a special country and an opportunity to represent wheelchair basketball in front of the world and the entire Canadian Paralympic Team," he said in a news release.
"It was very much a surprise. I’ve been chosen, and I will step up. It’s going to be really cool."
Canada has sent 126 athletes to Paris in 18 sports.
The opening ceremony goes Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
Anderson and the wheelchair basketball team will play its first round robin game Friday against France.
