There's no water in indoor rowing. Instead, competitors row on their machines, with their progress on the one-kilometre "course" displayed on video screens.

He and his coach must have worked hard to convert his indoor performance into a strong ability on the water. Recently he placed second in a tough field at the U.S. national championships.

"That's not a trivial undertaking. But he has very good mental focus. When he concentrates on something, he concentrates on something," Merritt said.

Now Daniel has to balance his training as a top-flight athlete with his education. After his accident, he enrolled in a three-year business administration program at Cambrian College in Sudbury, his hometown.

If everything proceeds according to plan, his training will lead him to another university, where he will enter a program allowing him to focus on sports administration.

Daniel also acts as president of his basketball club, and has found both funds and games for it. He plays sledge hockey in a local team and managed to raise 6,000 U.S. dollars he needed to buy his own boat for rowing.

"At the moment of the accident, I never thought that I could be active again and even this happy with my life. I tell my son many times that no matter what happens in life, you can always find a way out," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2008)