The Winnipeg, Man. native is set to represent Team Canada at the Kitakyushu Champions Cup

Bernard Rosello was first introduced to wheelchair basketball by a sledge hockey teammate and was immediately hooked on the sport.

The Winnipeg, Man. native was 12 years old when he first tried wheelchair basketball, but it quickly became his passion.

“It was the first junior camp I attended in Toronto during the summer of 2019. Darrell Nordell invited me out, and I got hooked from there on,” Rosello recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh, this is intense. This is a crazy training environment, and I want to be a part of it’.”

Born with proximal femoral focal deficiency – a condition affecting the development of his hip and leg, Rosello played basketball and volleyball growing up in elementary and high school.

In addition to sledge hockey, teammates have tried to recruit him to sitting volleyball, but wheelchair basketball has remained his go-to sport.

In 2023, Rosello represented Team Manitoba at the Canada Winter Games—his second opportunity to represent his province on the court. Even though Team Toba came up short of a medal, the 19-year-old’s experience was memorable.

“It was fun being one of the few returnees,” said Rosello, who made his Canada Games debut in Red Deer in 2019. “We thought we would win a medal, but we fell short in the bronze model game against Quebec. It felt amazing to be one of the leaders and to be looked up to. It was just a lot of fun.”

Now, Rosello is gearing up for his second run as a member of Canada’s Men’s Under-23 team.

Coached by Nordell, the team will participate in the Kitakyushu Champions Cup in November in Kitakyushu, Japan.

“I’m looking forward to being one of the returning guys,” Rosello said. “I’m still one of the young guys in the middle of the group. Being a returnee at 19 is a little weird, but I can’t wait to go with that group of people.”

In addition to the Kitakyushu Champions Cup, Canada’s U23 team will look to qualify for the 2025 IWBF Men’s U23 World Championship in São Paulo, Brazil. Canada will need a Top 2 finish at the Americas Zone qualifier to earn a trip to Brazil.

For Rosello, the Kitakyushu Champions Cup is an essential step towards success in 2025.

“I feel like it’s very important for us to get together and play against other national teams to see what we’re up against and how we can improve,” he said. “I also think it’s important to play together to build chemistry.”

With a lot of basketball and training on deck in the coming months, Rosello appreciated being included in the Petro-Canada FACE program.

Excited to have Bernard Rosello & Joey Johnson selected as one of the 55 athlete/coach pairings to receive a $10k #PetroCanadaFACE grant for 2024! This funding supports both the athlete and coach in reaching new heights in the sport and maximizing potential. pic.twitter.com/HDF2pZaOsr

— Wheelchair Basketball Canada (@WCBballCanada) August 15, 2024

In the summer, he received funding that has directly helped him with his training and preparation for his upcoming basketball schedule.

“It felt amazing to know that I was looked at as one of the top recruits for that,” Rosello said. “Getting that money has helped so much already towards training and flights, especially for Kitakyushu. I’m glad I got that grant; it’s been a big help. It’s been an honour to be the face of wheelchair basketball’s junior athletes on the men’s side.”

Off the court, Rosello’s passion is cars. He plans on attending Red River College in the fall of 2025, focusing his education on autobody repair.