Photo/WES KELLER GOLD MEDALIST Brad Bowden poses with students in the gymnasium of East Garafraxa Public School which has been named in his honour. Bradley Bowden of Orton, possibly Canada's first paralympic gold medalist, had lots of advice for students at East Garafraxa Central Public School last Friday, as the gymnasium at his former school was dedicated in his honour.

"Eat lost of fruit and vegetables, work hard, and pay attention to your teachers," he said. "I don't eat at (fast food outlets). I eat healthy," he said in response to one student's question related to "Big Mac attacks."

Bradley, 22, might have been a National Hockey League standout if he hadn't been born with a condition similar to spinal bifida, by which he doesn't have the use of his lower limbs.

Although confined, more or less, to a wheelchair for life, Bradley never lost sight of his dream of athletic stardom. Unfazed by his physical condition, he had a goal and an assist for the Canadian sledgehockey team that defeated Norway 3-0 for the world championship at Torino earlier this year, and he has earned many medals in wheelchair basketball.

Bradley's former teachers recalled Friday that he would leave his wheelchair at the front door, and "went scooting around the school, always meeting every challenge." The teachers remembered Bradley well, and he hadn't forgotten either them or the friends he met during school years and after.

"You'll meet lots of friends. Don't forget them. Keep in touch," he advised.

Helena Woodland, the educational assistant during Bradley's kindergarten 17 years ago, and through most of his grades, remembered him in those early years as

"very independent; he loved gym and recess," she quipped as she remarked on the amazing strength of Bradley's upper body.

Debbie Foster, a teacher from Bradley's Grade 1, said the young student "made everything work for him." She remembered the pushups. "The kids were to do 10. He did 10, then 20, and was still going at 100."

Ms. Foster said she brought in an older student to supervise Bradley's pushups. The older student had Bradley clap between pushups - such that there could be no cheating. This didn't slow Bradley down in the least, she said.

Ms. Foster said she wanted to research Bradley's career, so she did the modern thing and "Googled" him. "There were 18 pages of references."

That part of the sledgehockey gold medalist,

along with many other awards, was brought to life in the screening of a video of his action in the paralympic, along with an illustration of his lifelong admiration of and friendship with the legendary Bobby Orr.

But there are two sides to this outstanding East Garafraxa athlete.

Or, perhaps there's an essential attitude that has enabled Bradley to overcome obstacles in all things, and to achieve whatever he sets out to do.

"Whatever you want to do, take it as far as you can. Work at it," he told the students at Marsville last Friday. "Follow your dreams is not a corny (expression)," he said.

"When you mature, you realize how important (learning) is. Your teachers are normal people, regular people. They're not your enemies," he said as he urged the students to pay close attention in their classes.

He was amused that a former teacher had said his "favourite classes were gym and recess" as she recalled the early years. "Recess was not a class," he said. In any event, Bradley must have "paid attention" as he never missed a grade in his academic years.

He did miss the Canadian paralympic fourthplace loss in sledge hockey at Salt Lake several years ago. But that was only because of a severe accidental injury to his right hand that might have crippled a lesser person. He recovered from that, however, and was the star of the Canadian championship team at the Torino Olympics.

In basketball, Bradley is a seven-time gold medalist in international competition, including the 2006 Paralympic World Cup in England, and the 2001 Junior World Championships in Brazil.

He has seven gold medals and three bronze in national wheelchair basketball competition, six of those with Team Ontario and four with the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League, all between 1999 and 2006.

What were the most important competitions, one student wondered. The question might have had Bradley momentarily stumped, but he acknowledged that "some are more important than others."

Yet there was no doubt from his response, and from his medals, that Bradley treats than all equally when he's part of the action.

His portrait will hang in a place of honour in the East Garafraxa CPS gym, and principal Karen Kowalchuk said the name "Bradley Bowden Gymnasium" would be painted over the entrance during the summer break.