Claire Buchanan spent eleven seasons on defense for Canada's women's national para ice hockey team, and she now covers the sport as a broadcaster on The Neutral Zone.

In this episode she breaks down how the game actually works — two sticks, blades that look like one — why women's para hockey still isn't a Paralympic event, and what it costs the athletes who play for their country out of their own pockets.

From there the conversation turns to allyship: what it takes for non-disabled people to be genuinely useful rather than just well-meaning.

Claire talks about speaking up in the moment, why constant advocacy wears people down, and how spaces get built with good intentions but without asking disabled people what they actually need.

She also shares her advice for the next generation, and what she hopes to leave behind for the women's game.

About Claire Buchanan

Born with spina bifida, Claire Buchanan has navigated life with a disability, and finding sport gave her not only a sense of community but a sense of belonging. She has competed in wheelchair basketball at the collegiate level with the University of Alabama and was part of the national development program with Wheelchair Basketball Canada. In 2014 she made her first national team with women's para hockey. She represented Canada for 11 seasons and is a 3x World Championships silver medalist. Since 2019 she has been a broadcaster on The Neutral Zone podcast, and recently was part of the 2026 Winter Paralympics broadcast team with CBC. Storytelling and covering sport is a passion of hers, and her goal is to continue to grow para sport coverage.

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome

01:43 — Meet Claire: finding para hockey

04:24 — "I almost didn't get on the ice"

06:07 — What para ice hockey actually is

08:46 — Playing defense

11:49 — What an accessible future looks like

13:31 — Living with spina bifida

15:47 — Why it's not at the Paralympics yet

17:36 — Funding: paying to play for Canada

19:05 — Growing the game (and how to help)

21:47 — How para sport gets covered

24:56 — Covering disability: where to start

26:37 — Intentional allyship

29:48 — When good intentions miss

32:17 — Advice for the next generation

36:38 — What she wants to leave behind

38:56 — Breaking the stigma

40:23 — Where to find Claire

41:17 — Wrap-up

Connect with Claire

Instagram: @clairebuchanan10

TikTok: @canadiangamechanger

Podcast: ⁨@neutralzonepodcast⁩

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