聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Nine years ago, Wawota native Blake Lamontagne鈥檚 life changed irrevocably when he became a T4 incomplete paraplegic after an automobile accident. Since then, the 26-year-old has become a client services coordinator for Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan in Regina, was recruited by Rick Hansen to become an ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation and most recently, has become a world-class adaptive athlete, competing for Canada at the 2016 Disabled Water Ski National Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2017, he will compete for Canada at the 13th Disabled Water Ski World Championships in Lake Macquarie, New 麻豆视频 Wales, Australia.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥n July 8, 2007 鈥� when I was 16-years-old 鈥� me and two friends were in my truck and two friends were following us. We were just out trying to get my old truck running and we hit the ditch.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he last thing I remember was trying to miss the fence and then waking up four days later in Regina,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 a T4 incomplete paraplegic 鈥� just below my nipples. I have full use of my hands and I鈥檓 very lucky, because I crushed two vertebrae in my neck, too.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 have enough use of my legs and abs that I can stand up and get in and out of my truck, but that鈥檚 it. In the hospital in Regina, I recovered super-fast, because I was young and fit. After the accident, I was in Wascana Rehab Centre for four months.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 went back to Wawota after that,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 had just finished grade 11 when I got hurt, so I finished my grade 12 and after that, went to Regina right away where I took a small motor mechanics course, but I found out it wasn鈥檛 for me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t took me a while, but I began working at the Saskatchewan Abilities Council and now, Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan,鈥� says Lamontagne. 鈥淚鈥檓 now a client services coordinator for Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan and one of the things I do is peer monitoring and volunteer training. I can just connect to people on a personal level and of course, I鈥檝e been there.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lamontagne credits two men 鈥� as both mentors and friends 鈥� who helped him not only adjust to his challenging new reality, but also to thrive and to help others facing the same challenges.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏oth of them passed away prtty young from cancer,鈥� says Lamontagne. 鈥淏ut, Clayton Gerein and Chris Pearson are absolute heroes of mine. When I was in the hospital, Clayton came in and told me that everything would be okay 鈥� and now, I鈥檓 doing his job.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 the same thing with Chris 鈥� he was always trying to get me going sport-wise. It was always: 鈥楥ome out 鈥� try tennis, try this, try that.鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ultimately, Lamontagne tried waterskiing and he quickly realized that it was his sport.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 first got into it on Aug. 5, 2014,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was the first time I tried it 鈥� at a give-it-a-go day at Wascana Lake. Before that, Id鈥� skied once 鈥� when I was 14.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was funny, we had a side-skier go beside us,鈥� he addes. 鈥淚t turned out he was the Canadian national coach for disability waterskiing. Shrotly after that, I went to a prospect camp in Florida. I did some trickboarding in Florida and I was addicted.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 loved it and I knew it was the sport for me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With 鈥渙nly two partial years鈥� under his belt, Lamontagne has already competed in Saskatoon at the provincial level. He followed that feat by earning a spot at the 2016 Disabled Water Ski National Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina in October. And in 2017, he will compete at the 13th Disabled Water Ski World Championships in Lake Macquarie, New 麻豆视频 Wales, Australia.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐ompeting in Charlotte was just the most amazing experience I鈥檝e ever had,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e trained before in Jackson, Mississippi. The way they do it there is that 28 skiers are U.S. nationals and the remaining competitors are from other countries and the two teams compete.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here were two of us from Canada, two Australians, and skiers from Belgium, England and France. The American team was made up of skiers from North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, California, Florida, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, and New York State.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was a great experience in so many ays. In nine years of being in a chair, I haven鈥檛 met anybody who has the same injury as me. But there, within an hour, I met two people that had the same injury as me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was pretty starstruck by the whole experience,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 kind of got put in my place, because I鈥檝e only been skiing a few years.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, Lamontagne placed third in three events, but says: 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a competitive guy, but what struck me the most about the competition in Charlotte is that it鈥檚 the only sport where I鈥檝e seen opposing teams offer equipment to each other and coaches offer advice to their competitors.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎n Australian guy鈥檚 ski was damaged on the plane and a guy from the States spent two days fixing it; if your foot piece broke, you had another one. One guy used my whole set-up. They could beat you in competition 鈥� and we do compete 鈥� but that鈥檚 not everything.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lamontagne鈥檚 equipment for adaptive waterskiing consists of a cage and a board, but equipment varies according to an individual鈥檚 abilities.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 a metal cage that we fit in and a harness that you sit in,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y board is a normal wakeboard cut down to competition size.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 train at Regina Beach,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y coaches are Lisa Williams in Regina and Dave Wassill in Saskatoon. I鈥檝e tried a lot of sports since I was injured 鈥� hockey, tennis, basketball, rugby. I鈥檝e tried them all 鈥� and waterskiing was the last one I tried. I really enjoyed hockey and I鈥檓 a competitive guy, but waterskiing is my sport.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 get out there and try it, I never would have experienced it. The world can seem like a scary place and sometimes, it鈥檚 hard to let your guard down. But, you鈥檒l never know until you try.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Continuing the legacy of the encouragement and support given to him by his friends Gerein and Pearson is important to Lamontagne, too. And his keen interestin sport and supporting others in his situation came together when he became an ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檝e been an ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation for about two years,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen Rick Hansen was doing his 25th Anniversary tour, my mom and I went to a presentation he was doing.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We鈥檇 been waiting an hour and a half to talk to him and we decided to grab a drink and come back. As we were leaving, all of a sudden we heard him yelling: 鈥楬ey! Hey! I wanted to talk to you! Don鈥檛 leave yet!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e told me: 鈥榊ou鈥檙e going to do good things. You鈥檙e story鈥檚 just beginning.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭wo years later at a book signing, it鈥檚 the same thing,鈥� says Lamontagne. 鈥淚鈥檓 with my auntie and my cousin and the crowd鈥檚 just huge. We decide to go for a bit and come back and this chair spins around and it鈥檚 Rick Hansen and he says: 鈥楬ey man, how鈥檙e you doing?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe that he remembered me, but he did. He said: 鈥業 want that kid to be an ambassador for me.鈥� And the rest is history,鈥� laughs Lamontagne.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 done as many speeches as I鈥檇 like to yet,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut a lot of what I do is talk to elementary and high school students about inclusiveness and accessibility and being a Difference Maker.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Rick Hansen Foundation encourages anyone to be a Difference Maker 鈥� and by doing so, help create a barrier-free world.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔or me, Chris was that person,鈥� says Lamontagne. 鈥淎 Difference Maker is a person who influences you to come out of your bubble, to come out and experience something new.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what Chris did for me 鈥� he always told me to never shy away from anything. And that鈥檚 what I got from Clayton, too. You never know when it鈥檚 your time, so go out and do what you can do, while you can.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey both ultimately changed my perspective on live,鈥� says Lamontagne. 鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 tried waterskiing, I would have missed out on so much. You never know when or where an opportunity is waiting. You have to try things.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This spring in Australia, Lamontagne will move closer towards his 鈥渦ltimate goal of becoming a world champ.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to try and get there a little early to deal with the jet lag and stuff,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd get used to the warmer water conditions, which are softer and more difficult to ski on than colder water.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut,鈥� he adds, 鈥淚鈥檓 used to training in Regina Beach when there are 100 other boats out there. I鈥檓 used to the rough stuff.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檓 a very different person from the person I was nine years ago.鈥�
