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Four months after suffering a spinal cord injury, Smiths Falls resident Neil Doef has been nominated to carry the torch at the 2015 Pan Am Games.

The 18-year-old Doef crashed into the boards at the World Under 17 Championships on Dec. 14. The resulting injury left him with severely limited movement in his legs.

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When the torch comes to Smiths Falls on July 2, en route to the Games site in Toronto, Doef will carry it down a 200-metre stretch through the town.

The relay begins May 30 and will finish at the opening ceremonies on July 10.

Ever since the accident, Doef has been supported by a number of groups and individuals, led by community group called Friends of Doef. They have created a FaceBook support page called Doefstrong and helped support his recovery.

Earlier this month, Doef and his family moved into a new, more accessible Smith Falls house built for him using the money from a series of fundraising events.

“He was a hard-working kid beforehand and this spinal cord injury has not stopped him from being hard-working,” Doefstrong co-ordinator Pat Morell told the Citizen earlier this month.