ST JOHN'S - Climbing onto a medal podium is a lot like climbing a mountain. There are many different routes you can take to get there.

Newfoundland's Gavin Baggs is trying them all and finally got there on Sunday at the Canada Games grabbing silver in the men's 400 metres freestyle para to the wild cheers of the home crowd.

Certainly few others have investigated more ways to get onto a podium. Winter sports. Summer sports. On the track, in the pool. On the ice and hardwood. Baggs is trying them all.

He participated in his first Canada Games when he was just 11 years old competing in wheelchair basketball.

Three Canada Games later, now 18, he has that elusive medal.

You might think after all that time and effort, the sacrifice, the blood, sweat and tears, that it is mission accomplished.

But you would be wrong.

For Baggs there are four more events in the Canada Games pool and three more at the track where he will race the 100, 400 and 1,500 metres.

After that there are the Milano/Cortina Olympics and Paralympics where he hopes to be on the Canadian paralympic hockey team.

Then there are the Los Angeles Summer Olympics and Paralympics and dozens of podiums waiting to be climbed in-between.

"I do a lot of sports competitively track and swimming were the two available at the Canada Games and then para-hockey I play with the men's national team.

"I'm only a rookie, though, so the goal is to get to paralympics, but there's no guarantee for that, so I'm going to be training lots.

"I've never had an easy schedule, to say the least, but over the years I have become accustomed to having a busy schedule.

"I like a busy schedule."

Even so, Baggs allowed himself time on Sunday to soak up the moment.

A beaming smile stretched across his face, Newfoundland flag draped across his shoulders Baggs reflected on the long path to podium.

"It’s really just fate if you really think about it,” said Baggs. “Three Canada Games I’ve been to, one in Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick, and the one in Newfoundland is the one where I get my first medal.  

"So, I feel like it was kind of meant to be."