[1] Willsie was born and raised in London, Ontario and earned a marketing diploma from Fanshawe College.

[3] Willsie was a semi-pro baseball player and a cross-country runner before being left quadriplegic following a recreational hockey game in 1995.

[6] Upon qualifying for the Canadian National Wheelchair Rugby team, Willsie made his Paralympic Games debut in 2000.

[2] After Canada failed to medal in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Willsie retired from competing but accepted an assistant coaching position with the national team.

[13][14] In 2017, Willsie and Garett Hickling became the first ever rugby players to have their jerseys retired by the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association.