Saskatchewan's Nik Goncin prepares for 2016 Paralympics in Rio

Regina's Nik Goncin is on the list of of Canadian athletes who will compete at the2016 Paralympics inRio de Janeiro next year, and he's taking representing Canada seriously.

"I came from a war-torn country as a refugee, so I kind of owe Canada a lot of stuff," Goncinsaid. "I don't know if I would be here if it wasn't for this country."

When Goncin was three years old, his family fled Sarajevo, currently a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Fleeing his country wasn't the last hurdle in his life. In high school, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. The medical teamdecided to amputate one of his legs to prevent the cancer from spreading.

"You don't really think about sports when something like that happens to you," he said. Goncin's focus was on his health and his family.

Shortly after losing his leg he was introduced to wheelchair basketballand has been in love with it ever since.

Now, some are calling him the future of Canadian athletes. During the 2015 Parapan Am Games in Toronto,Goncin wasone of the best performers from any countrythe entire tournament. Goncin and Canada ended up winning a silver medal.

Canada is going to the Paralympics as the defending men's wheelchair basketball champions.