Inspirational author Dr. Orison Swett Marden once wrote that “all who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.”
Daniel Shafransky has lived his life with his eyes fixed on seemingly impossible goals and with the determination to reach them.
As father of Leaside High School Grade 12 twins Angie and Benji, Shafransky has supported them in all of their pursuits from academics to athletics, and beyond.
Both kids have been involved in high level athletics with Angie’s field hockey team winning an Ontario championship and Benji being the provincial winner in discus.
But in an interesting twist, supporting his kids has encouraged Daniel’s own athletic aspirations. “I have always wanted to model what I talk to my kids about,” he says.
A lifelong athlete, Shafransky learned about the Canadian Masters Indoor Field Hockey program during the pandemic and quickly set his sights on making the team. He started a training regimen which involved running the hills at Leaside High.
When the world began to open up post-pandemic, Shafransky joined two indoor field hockey clubs, and the work continued to ramp up.
With Canada qualifying for the World Cup in England this past March, Shafransky was deservedly named to the national team in January and competed in the event in Nottingham, England.
For Shafransky, “it was a dream come true” to make the team and represent the country on a global stage.
Shafransky scored Canada’s first goal of the tournament against Guyana, a memorable and remarkable moment for a man who only five years earlier had undergone disc surgery.
So, what’s next for this athlete?
In his ongoing bid “to show my kids that anything is possible,” Shafransky will continue training with the aim of participating in the next Indoor Field World Cup in 2026.
He is also exploring the sport of race walking.
With his perseverance, determination and hard work, it will be exciting to see where this next pursuit takes him.
