Rick Hansen Relay

Although it was awhile ago, I had the opportunity to participate with the relay as an endurance athlete.  The endurance athlete got to start each day with the medal and pass it to the fist medal bearer of the day.  Each day that was someone related to a school.  I got to participate for a week from Oliver to Hope.  I had originally wanted to do more riding and less "carry" mode.  However, I realize now that was more about me than the relay.

I got to meet some incredible people that Rick referred top as difference makers.  A lot of these difference makers were school kids or teachers.  When I see the quality of the kids, their supporters, and the communities we visited it helps restore my faith in the human condition.

Many of the people involved with the relay had significant challenges to overcome and yet almost to a person the joy of them being selected was the forefront of all of my contacts.

The recent Olympics reminded me why I am so proud to be a Canadian.  Yes the medals were a great accomplishment but it was the way in which our Canadian athletes handled diversity I was so impressed with.  You have to really feel for our 4x100 athlete the stepped on the line.  It was a real shame that it happened but I was most impressed with the way he handled it.  Bravo.

Finally, the greatest Olympian ever?  Yes Phelps has the hardware but Ian Miller has competed in 10 straight Olympics.  How can that not be greatest.  And then there is Clara Hughes, only Olympian ever to have multiple medals in different Olympics.  That's not just great its incredible.  She takes 12 years off from professional cycling, comes back to it and finishes fifth in the world almost making it three different Olympics.  Greatest Olympian - you bet. However, it was about how they both handled not winning that makes then great.  I guess that's a true Canadian viewpoint.  Hopefully the Para-Olympics get the same kind of exposure.

Remember, its not about what happens to you in life - its what you do about it that's important.

Do wee really See what is Going on Around Us

The theme of our church service this morning was seeing hope around us. Which was very appropriate with my wife's trip to Nicaragua this week. She is on an eye care mission with TWECS (Third World Eye Care Society) providing free eye care to individuals who cannot afford it in the poorest areas of the world.

This 8-year old little boy has been legally blind since birth. His world view ended about 12 inches from his face. What he actually needed was glasses. This is a picture of him shortly after receiving his first ever pair of glasses. Imagine growing up not knowing that everything should not be fuzzy. Can you imagine how this child's world has changed simply be now being able to see?

I can think of no better example of seeing hope in the world around us than the look on this child's face. Rather than despairing, think of the possibilities and think about providing hope to those around us.

Rick Hansen Commemorative Relay

I had a very interesting experience recently volunteering with this relay. The concept of the relay is to focus on accessibility and inclusiveness in communities. The other focus is to look for difference makers in the community. I was involved in the testy event day that simulated day 271 (?) through White Rock Ladner & Richmond. I was what they are considering an endurance member that will be responsible for transporting the medal for longer distances through the less populated areas where there will be no regular medal bearers.

I was able to ride 30 - 40 kilometres altogether. I hope to join the relay for a couple of weeks when it reaches BC in March of 2012. They are starting ion New Foundland on August 24th and starting across Canada. It is a great opportunity for communities to come together to support community inclusion and to recognize various difference makers. It was a great experience and coming to a community near you soon.

Suin Run Success

My goal for the year was to run the Sun Run. I chose not to join a clinic this year primarily because I couldn't maintain a regular enough pace to stay with a group. I had big plans to do it on my own which, as most people discover, is almost impossible to do well by yourself. My training had been going well until life got in the way. The good news is I am working full time - bad news for training. Despite the disruptions in my training, I was able to run about 1/3 of the race and happily took 17 minutes off last year's time finishing in 1:48. A new post stroke PB. Maybe next year I can run the whole race.

Third time lucky

Seeking employment has been an interesting challenge as a stroke survivor. It has given me an interesting glimpse into the world that many disabled people face on a daily basis. As much as we profess to be an accepting society that does not discriminate, the amount that this affects people's perceptions is clearly evident when it comes to something such as competition for a job. It may not even be a conscious act, however, selecting a candidate is all about picking the best person for the job which can be inherently discriminatory. Add to that the loss of self-confidence from a stroke and the mixture is a potent one for many people who are attempting to create normalcy in their lives after a significant injury or loss.

I am very fortunate to have been surrounded by very positive people. That has clearly been a great influence on the approach to my rehabilitation and to my life journey. I thank my parents for instilling in me a positive approach that focuses on effort rather than achievement.

My job search has brought me to be one of two finalists on three occasions and it appears that this time I have won out. I don't have a formal offer letter in hand yet but that is on its way. So I will shortly be returning to full time work which is kind of the final piece in putting my life back together. It is just over 4 years since my stroke and I have experienced many things that others will not get the opportunity to face. I have grieved a lot and yet I've also celebrated a lot.

This journey has not been of my choosing but what I get out of it is up to me. Nobody gets to choose all the things that happen in their lives, however, they do get to decide how they feel about those events and what they are going to do about them. Keep smiling. Life is ahead of you not behind you.

Almost But Not Quite

Well last Friday I got the news...I was the bridesmaid again. I got to the third interview with a company that had a great work environment and very friendly staff and was down to two candidates but unfortunately they selected the other one. It's interesting because the whole environment felt right - in fact I was sure I was going to be selected so it certainly was a disappointment to say the least. However, on the bright side, it is good for the psyche to realize that I am in the market despite being a stroke survivor. Since this is the second time I have been one of the final two, hopefully it will be third time lucky. Keep your chin up.

I cannot Recover I can Rehabilitate

I had an interesting epiphany today. I came to the realization that I will never be the same as I used to be. I finished a workout of run/walking 9x200 meters and found that my running is still very jerky.

I originally convinced myself that I would fully recover and return to what I used to be able to do. That is what kept me going and gave me focus. I now know that is very unlikely to happen. Earlier in my travels down this road this thought would have been very depressing. This is not to say that I will not run again because I am. However, I will never have the same running style because the muscle motor patterns I have learned are different. The way I move my left leg is different.

What is important to me is that I can still do many things although they are different than they used to be. What I may need to do is find a coach or trainer that can help me improve my performance with the technique that I have developed. Recovering from a stroke I think is a misnomer. I am not going to recover to what I used to be, I am rehabilitating myself physically and cognitively to continue my life to the best of my ability.