‘It drives me’: Dwarfism no barrier for inspiring Sault athlete

The Sault’s Logan Hunter might be considered little, but his passion for sports is anything but.

Born with dwarfism, the motivated 20-year-old athlete is gearing up for his second-ever appearance at the World Dwarf Games in Cologne, Germany at the end of the month.

Joining 46 other Canadian athletes with the Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada, the St. Mary’s College graduate will be the only competitor from northern Ontario represented at the international showcase – not held since 2017.

“That means a lot,” he says. “Sault Ste. Marie means so much to me. It’s a small but tight community, and it’s such a huge honour to represent them. I love this city.”

Hunter is currently training and preparing for seven events in Germany, including archery, badminton, basketball, table tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

While it may sound overwhelming, the young athlete is used to being involved in a variety of sports.

“Growing up, I’ve always been into sports living in Sault Ste. Marie,” he says. “As a kid, I played hockey, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and other stuff. It’s always been a big sports city.”

But being one of the only little people in his hometown didn’t come without its challenges.

For Hunter, the transition from elementary school to high school – a huge adjustment for most kids already – was particularly difficult.

“When I was younger, it didn’t really affect me since I was the same height as everyone else,” he says. “But as I got older, people my age kept growing and I wasn’t. When that happened, it affected me mentally. I just wanted to fit in, so it was definitely a huge struggle.”

Despite facing a number of physical challenges that nobody around him could personally relate to, Hunter says he always knew sports would be there to give him a mental boost.

“Sports is huge for me,” he says. “It’s a distraction to just get away from everything sometimes. As I got older, I realized I was put in this position for a reason, so I might as well make the most of it and prove to people that I’m still the same as everyone else – just shorter.”

Hunter discovered the World Dwarf Games when he entered high school in 2017. Hosted in Guelph that year, Hunter won two gold and two silver medals.

But the hardware he took home wasn’t what made the experience memorable for him.  

“Going there and seeing athletes like me across the country was a bit overwhelming but a really good feeling at the same time,” he says. “I met a lot of people there. In Sault Ste. Marie, I was only aware of one other little person, so I hadn’t really been around little people my whole life up to that point.”

“Once I saw there were other people just like me who went through the same things and I could relate to other people, it made it better and I got to make close friends at the same time.”

Despite not being able to compete in many sports at the high school level in the Sault, Hunter devoted his time as a trainer on the St. Mary’s basketball, soccer, and hockey teams and managed to find ways to keep his passion ignited.

“I still wanted to be part of the team, so I was trying to be involved as much as I could,” he says. “Looking at everyone playing sports at an average height motivates me to be where they’re at in a different way. It motivates me to prove to people that no matter what your differences are, or the outcome of who you are, anything can be accomplished.”

Last year, Hunter’s passion for hockey caught the attention of the Soo Greyhounds organization, and the club brought him on as an equipment manager this past season – an unprecedented opportunity for a 20-year-old.

“I got a glimpse of what it means to sort of represent my own city,” he says. “It’s been such a great experience working with them.”

Without the support of his older brother Dawson and his parents Norm and Lorri, Hunter says he has no idea where he would be right now.

“I always wanted to be like my brother,” he says. “He’s always been there for me and is always checking in on me and knows what I go through on a daily basis.”

“My parents are there for me too, and they obviously know the circumstances and understand when things are rough. They’re always there for me when I need them.”

Training every day for the past four months, Hunter will be leaving for southern Ontario on Friday to get a week of final preparation in with his friends before they fly to Europe near the end of the month.

They’ll be joining more than 500 athletes from 29 countries, all of whom will be competing for medals at the World Dwarf Games from Jul. 28 to Aug. 5 in Cologne, Germany.

“I’m just another person,” Hunter says. “Being in love with sports drives me, and it drives me to be a better person in general.”