outspoken magazine fall 2013

ClimbingRocks!

■ 2013 Wheelchair RelayChallenges

■ In Conversation ■ Exhilarating Horsepower

on Water■ Strength through Struggle■ Home for the Holidays

SCI ONTARIO CHAMPIONS EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE, ADVOCACY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES.

Outspoken!

sciontario.org

Fall 2013

! Outspoken FALL 2013_! Outspoken Winter 2009 2013-10-21 1:23 PM

GLUCKSTEINl PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS l

Advocacy that makes a difference

www.gluckstein.com

For those facing serious personal injury,

the life-long challenges and barriers to recovery

can make day to day existence

an overwhelming s t r u g g l e.

Together with our healthcare service providers

we are committed to rebuilding clients’ lives;

providing the highest level of support, when needed most

— with dignity, respect and trusted experience.

renewing hope restor ing l ives

2013

MAIN OFFICE: 595 BAY STREET, SUITE 301, P.O. BOX 53, TORONTO M5G 2C2 l 416.408.4252 1.866.308.7722

NEW NIAGARA OFFICE: St. Catharines l To better serve our clients from Hamilton to Fort Erie


SCI Ontario • 3

viewpoint• 4 Message from Bill Adair:

Creating Lasting Social Change

your health• 6 Keep it Simple

peer support • 8 Women’s Group – For Women

with SCI• 8 Peer connections in Ohsweken

What’s on! • 20 Calendar of Events• 22 2013 Wheelchair Relay

Challenge

Our Vision: SCI Ontariochampions excellence inservice, advocacy andquality of life for peoplewith spinal cord injuries.

EDITOR, ADVERTISING, SALESBev [email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTION/[email protected]

CONTRIBUTIONSBill Adair, Michelle Amerie, Peter Athanasopoulos, Jennifer Berry, Shirley Clark,Mary Dufton, Gillian Lynne-Davies, Wayne MacDonald, Sarah McKinnon, Lynn Miñeque,Amy Notdorft, Sheila O’Neill,Kevin Rogers, Joanne Smith,Dan Thompson, Nancy Xia

Subscription to Outspoken!is a benefit of SCI Ontario membership. To join, please call Membership Services at 1-877-422-1112 x249 or visit [email protected]

For editorial enquiries, to submit a story, or for information about advertising in Outspoken!, email Bev Jenkins [email protected]

Outspoken! is produced through thegeneration of advertising revenue. The opinions expressed in Outspoken!are those of their authors and do notnecessarily represent the views of SCI Ontario.

Products and services advertised ordescribed in Outspoken! are not testedor endorsed by SCI Ontario.

For more information, visit us online: sciontario.org

employment services• 28 Twitter: Putting the Social in

Social Media

giving • 34 Home for the Holidays

38 Advertiser Index

DEPARTMENTS

10 In Conversation

12 Climbing Rocks!

13 Aiming High – ChantalFowler – DeterminedRock Climber

14 Living Outside the Zone

16 Exhilarating Horsepoweron Water

18 Strength through Struggle

30 Boldly Setting the Stage

32 Ordinary WomanExtraordinary Dreams

32 Swing Your Sticks GolfTournament

36 Accessible Friendly RealEstate

37 Sailing Day

FEATURES

cover story The adaptation of an old sport – rock climbing – is giving a new perspective to people with disabilities. Michelle Amerieepitomizes living outside the zone with her rock climbing feats, quoting Helen Keller, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

32

36

34

16

13

37

30

221814


4 • Outspoken! • Fall 2013

Creating Lasting Social Change

How do you go about creating lastingsocial change?

I’ve been working in the disability communityfor more than 50 years. I’ve seen many changesover time and I have seen progress for sure. But,you know what? The progress has just not beenfast enough, in my opinion.

I want to live – I want my grandchildren to live– in a society that fully embraces people’s differ-ences, no matter what they may be. I often ponderhow SCI Ontario can make the biggest impact onthe lives of people with spinal cord injuries. Ourcustomized programs and services have earned usan outstanding reputation among the people weserve and our stakeholders. But I want bigger andbetter. My rose-coloured glasses let me see anOntario – a Canada – a world – that is apprecia-tive of and unfazed by people with spinal cordinjuries… where people with spinal cord injuriesnaturally participate in our community fabric.

This year, we are trying something new. We arereaching beyond our own community. Perhapssocial change is created by sneaking new ideas intopeople’s minds when they are not expecting to bechanged. So, we are taking storytelling, specificallyabout SCI, to a broader audience than ever before.We have partnered on two different projects.

The first is a film entitled Ordinary Woman,Extraordinary Dreams. Filmmaker Maggie Sofeasustained an SCI while at her Reserve’s traditionalceremonial campgrounds at the age of 11. Due tothe nature of her injury, Maggie was forced toleave her home community of Summer Beaver inNorthwestern Ontario and move to Thunder Bay.This whole experience led to the development ofher 90 minute, inspirational film. It is a visuallymoving and truly engaging story about the chal-lenges faced by individuals and their familiesliving with physical disabilities in isolated First

Over the summer and creeping into fall, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinkingabout big issues that are important to me. Who knows why, maybe it is because ofthe recent celebration of a significant birthday or perhaps the catalyst was the startof my wife’s retirement, but there is one question that keeps coming back to me.

Nations communities, and the need to face those challenges individuallyand as a collective community. SCI Ontario along with Hagi CommunityServices for Independence and Skyworks Charitable Foundation areshowing this film at several locations across Ontario to general film audi-ences. For more information, see page 32.

In the second project, SCI Ontario with Real Artists Reaching Everyone(R.A.R.E.) Theatre Company will debut a play with people with spinal cordinjuries who will tell their own raw and bold personal stories. The play willoffer an open and honest account of living with SCI. This play mixes art withadvocacy and it enables people with SCI to publicly comment on issues thatimpact their lives. The debut is in the spring of 2014. For more information,please see page 30.

My hope is that these two projects will plant seeds in people’s psyches.And once these people leave these shows they will go back to their ownlives, changed. They will become rooted in what is fair and just and spreadtheir own seeds of change. This is what I dearly hope.

These two projects are a push towards social change, but I believe ittakes an army of change makers infiltrating society. As Mahatma Gandhionce said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

And here’s your chance to be the change. Another new idea we have implemented at SCI Ontario to foster social

change is the creation of our Public Policy Program. We’ve listened to youand have developed campaigns to lobby the government around issues thataffect people with SCI. Tools have been created so that with a click of yourmouse, you can be in direct contact with your MPP about your own issuesof concern, or you can join with others with a collective voice on one of ourcampaigns. I encourage you to get involved – to help make this province agreat place to live with an SCI. You can visit the public policy site at:http://www.sciontario.org/publicpolicy.

Please join our army of social change makers. Our grandkids and theirgrandkids are counting on us.

Sincerely,

William AdairChief Executive OfficerSpinal Cord Injury Ontario

viewpoint

By William AdairChief Executive Officer, SCI Ontario


CA

NAD

IAN LAWYER MAG

AZIN

E



your health

By Joanne Smith

fruitful elementsSpecializing in optimal nutritional health for people with disabilities.

• •• •

One on one consultations

Meal evaluations

Individualized food planning

Group workshops & presentations

Joanne Smith, BA, BRT Dip., CNP

[email protected]

416.992.2927

Reduce bladder infections • Improve bowel function •

Increase circulation • Help prevent pressure sores and

decrease healing time • Increase energy level & endurance •

Reduce joint inflammation • Boost immunity • Maintain healthy

weight • Improve sleep • Increase calcium intake for better

bone health • Improve overall sense of well-being...

People often assume that eating well is compli-cated and time consuming. It’s actually quite theopposite. Sticking to basic, whole fresh foods isan easy, healthy and flavourful way to eat.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

I just returned from two weeks in Greece and absolutely loved thesimplicity of the diet, which studies repeatedly demonstrate is one of

the healthiest in the world. Fresh fish, hearty legumes, savoury fetacheese, plump tomatoes, olive oil and creamy yogurt are some of culinarystaples – the last item in particular has multiple health benefits for thoseof us with SCI.

Good health starts with a healthy digestive system. However, SCIsignificantly compromises digestive and bowel function leading to issuessuch as chronic bloating, gas and constipation. An easy, enjoyable andhighly effective way to support your gut health, and help prevent theseissues from occurring is to simply incorporate yogurt into your dietseveral times a week. Yogurt contains probiotics (good bacteria) whichactually enhance the digestion of nutrients and support peristalsis (theinvoluntary muscular contraction that propels matter through the intes-tines). These good bacteria also help boost the immune system which isalso compromised after SCI, detoxify the body and play an important rolein hormone balance.

I indulged in this wonder of wellbeing twice a day for my entire trip –every morning for breakfast with fresh fruit and every afternoon as a dipwith vegetables. The yogurt recipe below can be enjoyed as a dip withfresh vegetables or whole grain pita, as a salad dressing or sauce forgrilled chicken. Simply delicious!

Homemade Tzatziki• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt• 2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill• ¼ cucumber shredded• ½ garlic clove crushed

1. Shred cucumber and squeeze out excess water2. Combine shredded cucumber, yogurt, dill and garlic in medium bowl and

let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to combine flavours.Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to a week.


CA

NAD

IAN LAWYER MAG

AZIN

E

Singer Kwinter will be your legal advocate every step of the way through treatment and

rehabilitation. We help individuals and their families rebuild their lives. Widely respected

by the legal profession, Singer Kwinter has obtained record-setting awards and achieved

groundbreaking decisions that have changed the law in Canada.

With Singer Kwinter you can be confident you are represented by a team that will work

tirelessly and compassionately to ensure the outcome is the very best for you and your family.

Your first phone call is paramount to successful recovery. Call 1 866 285 6927 today.

WHATHAPPENSAFTER ATRAUMATICINJURY?

1033 Bay Street, Suite 214 Toronto, ON M5S 3A5 | 1 866 285 6927 | [email protected] | singerkwinter.com

REPRESENTING ACCIDENT VICTIMS SINCE 1974 | OUR CLIENTS PAY NO FEES UNTIL WE SETTLE OR WIN

ith Singer Kwinter you can be confident you are represented by a team that will workW



rehabilitation. W


ith Singer Kwinter you can be confident you are represented by a team that will work



e help individuals and their families rebuild their lives. rehabilitation. W





e help individuals and their families rebuild their lives.





idely respectedWe help individuals and their families rebuild their lives.




idely respected


our first phone call is paramount to successful recoveryY

tirelessly and compassionately to ensure the outcome is the very best for you and your family

ith Singer Kwinter you can be confident you are represented by a team that will workW

ACCIG REPRESENTIN

our first phone call is paramount to successful recovery



SINCE 1974 ICTIMS VENTDACCI

our first phone call is paramount to successful recovery



PIENTSLCUR O| SINCE 1974

1 866 285 6927 tllaC.



SETTWEL UNTIFEESNOYAAYPPA

.yado1 866 285 6927 t

.tirelessly and compassionately to ensure the outcome is the very best for you and your family


WINORELSETT

1033 Bay Street, Suite 214 T

oronto, ON M5S 3Ate 214 TTo

info@singerkwinter | 1 866 285 6927|oronto, ON M5S 3A5

| singerkwinter.com info@singerkwinter

.com| singerkwinter


PROUD TO SUPPORT THE PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, KINGSTON REGION


peer support

PROUD TO SUPPORT THE PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, OTTAWA REGION

PROUD TO SUPPORT THE PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, CENTRAL ONTARIO REGION PROUD TO SUPPORT THE PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, HAMILTON REGION

PROUD TO SUPPORT THE PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, LONDON REGION

Once a month, Hamilton Peer Support holds aspecial Peer Connections for women living withspinal cord injuries.

the session whether there’s only a couple people or a larger group.It’s nice just to come to talk and socialize. Sometimes it’s nice toconnect with a lot of people but sometimes an intimate group isnice too,” said one regular member of the group.

For women in the Hamilton area interested in attending thesession or that have any questions, please contact Hamilton PeerSupport Coordinator, Ron Rattie at 1-877-262-3366 [email protected]. ●

This session is intended to create a comfortable environment forwomen to connect and discuss issues specific to them. For the

past several months, peer volunteers, women from the communityand inpatients have been meeting on the second Tuesday of eachmonth at the Hamilton Regional Rehabilitation Centre and connectingabout topics such as health, travel, recreation and many others.

Sometimes almost ten women join together for the session whileother months the groups taper off to only three. “I enjoy coming to

Women’s Group – for Women with SCIBy Amy Notdorft, Regional Client Services Assistant

Ohsweken on the topic of Bowel and BladderManagement. The presentation was given to thehealthcare staff from the complex andsurrounding community in order to introducethem to some of the newest products availablefor their clients and patients. Mary Ann Enns, arepresentative from Coloplast, presented infor-mation on new products on the market and leftthe group with some samples to share withtheir patients.

Hamilton Peer Support would like to thankJeff Martin for helping organize the session aswell as the staff from Jay Silverheels formaking time in their busy schedules to join thesession.

If you have any ideas for topics or locationsfor future Peer Connections in theHamilton/Niagara/Brant area please contact Ron Rattie, Peer Support Coordinator, at 1-877-262-3366 or [email protected]. ●

Peer Connections in OhswekenBy Amy Notdorft, Regional Client Services Assistant

O n August 27th, Hamilton PeerSupport held a Lunch and Learn

session at the Jay Silverheels complex in



feature

The last two issues of Outspoken! looked at considerationsfor selecting a personal injury lawyer who will meet yourneeds. In case you missed them, these articles can be foundonline at: http://www.sciontario.org/seriouslyinjured andhttp://www.sciontario.org/choosingyourlawyer.

Assuming you now know what to look for in a lawyer who willrepresent you, let’s talk about what to expect from your lawyer

and the process you will go through as you work through your case. Aconversation with John A. McLeish of McLeish Orlando LLP, helped me shedsome light on this process. John’s firm is one of the three Personal InjuryAlliance law firms, along with Oatley, Vigmond and Thomson, Rogers.

PA I often hear lawyers advertise they can obtain a quick settle-ment of a serious personal injury case. How realistic is this?

JAMA quick settlement usually comes at the expense of a fair settle-ment. Serious personal injury cases cannot be settled without a

medical prognosis. Because a person with an injury heals and recovers overa period of approximately two years, a physician cannot give a prognosisuntil the healing and recovery has occurred. After the doctor gives a prog-nosis, the lawyer must then obtain reports that quantify the economiclosses the client will experience. Economic losses include both loss ofincome and future cost of care. Economic loss reports can take a further sixmonths to obtain.

If a personal injury case is settled without a medical prognosis andwithout an economic loss report, it is almost guaranteed the person withthe injury will not be fairly compensated.

PA How long can a person with an injury expect to wait until hisor her case is settled?

JAMIn virtually all serious personal injury cases, a civil lawsuit will bestarted in the Superior Court of Justice. There are many reasons

for this. The main reason for starting a lawsuit is that insurance companiesusually do not make fair settlement offers without a civil action beingstarted. More than this, insurance companies usually do not make fair settle-ment offers until a date for trial is imminent. Insurance companies knowthat going to trial will be very expensive and they wish to avoid thisexpense. Because of the need to obtain the reports we discussed earlier, andbecause of delays inherent in the court system, a person can anticipate towait three or four years for his or her case to resolve.

PAWhat is expected of a client during the course of his or hercase?

JAMThe client and his or her lawyer need to work side-by-side. Thisinvolves providing the lawyer with all the information the lawyer

requests and keeping the lawyer updated on all important developments. In terms of the formal court proceedings, usually the only involvement by

the client is to attend examinations for discovery. Examination for discovery

is a procedure where the person with an injury is asked questions underoath by the insurance company lawyer. All questions and answers arerecorded and a transcript. The examination lasts a few hours. Good lawyerswill prepare their client several weeks beforehand.

There are also medical assessments arranged by both the client’slawyer and the insurance lawyer. As well, the client will usually need toattend a mediation and a pre-trial conference, for the sole purpose oftrying to settle the case.

PA How does a client support themself financially while the caseis ongoing?

JAMIf the injury was caused in a motor vehicle crash, the person withthe injury is entitled to receive accident benefits, regardless of

who was at fault. If the injury is non-catastrophic, accident benefits areusually insufficient to meet the person’s financial needs while the negligenceclaim is ongoing. If the injury is considered catastrophic, the benefits areincreased and are usually adequate, but only if the accident benefits insurerpays the benefits. It is good to note that close family members of the personwith the injury are also entitled to accident benefits, regardless of whetherthey are adults or minors. If accident benefits are not paid for any reason,then the person with the injury and his or her family members must lookelsewhere. There are several other sources of funding.

One source of funding is an ‘advance payment’ from the insurancecompany of the negligent party. A lawyer cannot force an advance paymentto be made to the client, but often can persuade the insurance company topay $25,000, $50,000 or some other amount to tide the client over until thecase is resolved.

A second source of funding is from a litigation funding company. Thesecompanies will lend a person with an injury money, but at an exorbitantrate – 20% or 24% a year. Going to a litigation funding company to borrowmoney for living expenses should only be done as a last resort.

PAWhat if a client does not have the money to pay for the treat-ment that healthcare professionals are recommending and

cannot obtain money from any of the sources you just talked about?

JAMThis is a frequent problem and another reason why selecting theright lawyer, and a successful law firm, is crucial. A reputable law

firm will be in good standing with healthcare providers who know that thelawyer will claim the cost of providing the treatment and that payment willcome when the case is settled.

PA I have one last question. If a client has been working with alawyer for a period of time and is not comfortable with that

lawyer, is there anything that can be done?

JAMAbsolutely. It is of the utmost importance that the client is confi-dent in his or her representation and it is the client’s right to

make changes to who represents him or her at any time. It is not uncommonfor clients to approach another firm for a second opinion and it should befree of charge. At the same time, the new lawyer should introduce the poten-tial client to other team members who would work on the case, should achange be made. The chances are very good that the person with the injurywill know immediately whether he or she has confidence in the new lawyerand the new team. Finding the legal team that is the right fit is essential.

There is no cost to a person who wishes to change lawyers. The newlawyer will pay the expenses of the previous lawyer and make arrange-ments to pay whatever fees might be owed to the previous lawyer at thetime of the settlement of the case. It is a seamless process for the client.

PA Thanks very much for the information. I’m sure our readershipwill find it useful.

JAMYou are welcome. ●

By Peter Athanasopolous, Manager Public Policy and Government Relations

IN CONVERSATIONJohn A. McLeish talks aboutwhat to expect from yourpersonal injury lawyer


A Noticeable Difference™TORONTO I BARRIE I HAMILTON I

I www.mcleishorlando.com

Through your skill and compassion, you help them to heal. Through our legal expertise, and relentless drive, we ensure clients receive the financial support they need now, and in the years to come.

If you or someone you know has suffered a critical injury, or would benefit from a legal second opinion, call McLeish Orlando today at 1-866-685-3311 or visit www.mcleishorlando.com

Different Roles. One Goal. Together we care for their future.

1-866-685-3311

KITCHENER

CA

NAD

IAN LAWYER MAG

AZIN

E

RRBAIOTNOROT

le baecitoNA

66-685-33118-1

moc.odnalrohsielcm.wwwI

INOTLIMAHIEIRR

™encereffiDle

KITCHENER


Rock climbing is as old asthe mountains. As ourtransportation systemsbecame more sophisti-cated the necessity forrock climbing changed to the sport of rockclimbing. Because of theterrain and the physicaldemand, it hasn’t reallybeen an adapted sport,however, many camps for kids with disabilitieshave offered rockclimbing to camp participants.

Well, these kids musthave grown up withtheir hankering for aclimb, as more recentlythere have been oppor-tunities developed foradults with disabilitiesto try the sport out,too. Outspoken!brings you twodifferent stories of howpeople got involved inrock climbing in theirown communities.


feature

CLIMBINGROCKS

Adaption of an old sport isgiving a new perspective to

people with disabilities

Altitude Gym, Ottawa. Photo credit:

Isabel Rodriguez.


SCI Ontario • 13

couple to see if theywere interested inworking with anadaptive climber. I’venow been climbing forfour months.”

Through brain-storming efforts andinput from Chantal,Jean and Isabel foundways to ensureChantal could rockclimb safely and makethe most of her abilities.

Jean explains, “First, we tried to figure out her strengths and how tomost effectively use them. We made a strap and attached it from herharness thigh strap to just below her knee and also tied a grab-loop aroundChantal’s rock climbing shoe. These make it easier for her to lift her legs andplace her feet more precisely on climbing holds by pulling on straps, ratherthan her having to reach all the way down and grab her foot.”

Looking for a change in your fitness routine? Maybe you are boredwith your barbells or bike but don’t know what else there is. Ottawa

native, Chantal Fowler, who has spina bifida, has always had an interest inathletics. Water skiing, alpine skiing and wheelchair track and field are allpart of her repertoire along with recreational swimming. Recently, shedecided to shake things up a bit and has added another sport to her accom-plishments: rock climbing. Twice a week she visits Coyote Rock ClimbingGym, a local facility offering indoor rock climbing. Although the gym doesnot offer adaptive rock climbing yet, Chantal worked with climbing coachesIsabel Rodriguez and Jean Belanger who found a way to adapt the sport forher as she has limited movement and sensation in her legs. Here is how itall began.

“My first time rock climbing was in high school with an energetic gymteacher who was adamant I would be able to participate. It's always beenin the back of my mind as an activity I wanted to try to pursue one day. LastApril, I decided to go climbing with some friends and my son as a fun wayto celebrate my birthday. After thoroughly enjoying myself, I decided thiswas a sport I wanted to get involved in. One of my friends who had comeclimbing with me said he was good friends with a climbing coach whosegirlfriend was also quite knowledgeable. He said that he would talk to theRi

ght:

the

Coyo

te R

ock

Clim

bing

Gym

, Otta

wa.

Pho

to c

redi

t: Isa

bel R

odrig

uez.

Aiming High – Chantal FowlerDetermined Rock Climber By Mary Dufton



Here is how it works. First, Chantal straps on her harness. She thenattaches the rope to her harness, using a series of knots. She also rubs herhands with chalk to prevent them from getting too moist to grip properly. Hercoach is at the other end of the rope to belay (put on the breaks in caseChantal should fall). Isabel takes in slack from the ropes as Chantal climbs upto ensure she does not go far, should she fall. For those unfamiliar with theterm belaying, it refers to a variety of techniques climbers use to exert frictionon a climbing rope so that a falling climber does not fall very far.

To watch Chantal climb up a 26 foot wall while being belayed by an11mm rope is nothing short of phenomenal. She is fearless and focussed onnothing else but the activity.

Chantal has noticed a significant improvement in her body and mind. Afterjust one day of rock climbing she noticed that she was challenged in ways notusually experienced in the sports in which she had previously participated, andthat intrigued her. Watching all of the other climbers was also quite motivating.

“I kept wondering, maybe with practice, I might be able to move in wayssimilar to what they were doing in order to climb the routes. I felt like I wasbeing challenged by the walls and I accepted the challenge.”

Since Chantal started, she has noticed a continuous improvement in theability to move her legs as well as increased balance and stability when she iswalking. She is even standing taller as she is stretching certain muscles.

She explains further, “My upper body strength is probably the most notice-able physical difference, but I'm also noticing the changes in my lower bodythat have made getting around easier. Physical activity is known to releaseendorphins, which helps with pain relief but climbing is also a fantastic stressreliever as it forces you to think about the activity you’re doing and not the

LIVINGOUTSIDE THE ZONE By Michelle Amerie

Sometimes we get lost while looking for a change; a change we don’t evenrealize we need to make. The unknown need to squeeze the juice out of life,

with the hope that our thirst will be quenched at the same time.But not believing that the impossible may in fact be possible often blocks us from

finding our way. We can get so stuck in our daily routines it is very difficult to imagineliving beyond the present. As a result, many of us do not put anywhere near ourmaximum into life; whether you have a disability or not! We just don’t seem to go thedistance to live life to the fullest. Now why is that?

Maybe a big part of the reason for this is that on some level, people feel saferwhen others do things for them as opposed to us doing things for ourselves. But whatdoes it take to shake the fear out of trying something new? To step outside of ourcomfort zones and risk putting the maximum into life? Win, lose or draw, it is impor-tant to take risks, understand the lessons that come with success and failure, and thenlearn from them while moving on.

Hindsight is a great teacher for me. When I look back and see what I could missout on because of fear… it scares me beyond belief! The challenge is not being afraidof trying something new… the challenge is actually changing our attitudes and step-ping outside of our safety zones.

For me, rock climbing was a challenge that felt impossible to meet. Just thinkingabout it took me so far out of my ‘zone’ that I could no longer feel the edge. I wasentering into an abyss of doubt! How can a person with a disability, who uses awheelchair, possibly go rock climbing? The stability of my core and abdominal musclesis significantly reduced. Nobody with limited strength in his or her arms, and even lessin their handgrip, could be able to enjoy this kind of a sport, right? Rock climbing is awhole body experience. And let’s face it; I can’t use my whole body!

Then, Cort McElroy, ACMG Instructor and General Manager of The Rock OasisClimbing Gym, became my nemesis. Of course, he had a simple answer to justify why

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”Helen Keller, The Open Door

Phot

o cr

edits

: Co

rt M

cElro

y

Continued on page 20

Coyo

te R

ock

Clim

bing

Gym

, Otta

wa.

Pho

to c

redi

t: Isa

bel R

odrig

uez.


SCI Ontario • 15

every excuse I created was without merit. “Justcheck out Mark Wellman’s ‘No Limits’ website.”

Mark Wellman is a two-time paralympianchampion who uses a wheelchair. And yes, he isalso a rock climber. And yes again, he has createdan adaptive pull-up bar to make rock climbingpossible for people with disabilities. (But, let us notforget, this man’s one bicep is the size of mywaist!). Needless to say, all of this reasoning didn’tmatter. I will be the first to admit, I didn’t have thecourage to take this on! I was becoming more andmore agitated as my anxiety began to build and Ifelt my confidence diminish… because deep downinside, I knew I really did want to try it!

My first step would be to visit Cort at thegym. He hooked me up to a six-rope pulleysystem. For every foot of rope I pulled, I actuallywould be pulling six feet! And what was evenbetter was that my weight was evenly distrib-uted making it seem even easier to pull myselfup. The problem was that I had already judgedthe outcome of my climbing ability. “I didn’tneed to see that you could do it. You needed tosee that you could do it.” Cort was not mynemesis after all… as it is often the case; I wasmy own worst enemy! I had been limiting myselfeven before I had left the ground.

But the true test would be on my first outdoorclimb. We went to the Rattlesnake PointConservation Area in Milton, Ontario. Not onlywas this beautiful county, I could feel the exhila-rating experience start to grow. Slowly but surely Ipulled my way up into the trees.

Pushing myself physically made me feel alertand alive. My fears had dissipated and nowmorphed into a permanent smile. While hanging35 feet in the air next to the rock, I had a greatsense of satisfaction. Cort had given me apowerful and enduring gift; the positive sense ofself. His knowledge and experience will always bevalued and appreciated.

The lesson that I learned yet again was thatlife gets a whole lot easier when you accept thatchange is inevitable and how important it is toget on with living. Instead of being afraid of whatthe next step is, just check out the new options –the new possibilities. Be empowered by all of thechoices you can make! And to borrow an oldcliché, make sure you always see the world with a“glass half full” attitude towards your challenges,as opposed to the more common “glass halfempty” attitude. Because when you take that firststep out of your ‘zone’, magic can be created!

ASK A LAWYER Do you have a legal question?Try the new Ask a Lawyer service on the SCI Ontario website.

If you or someone you know has experienced a serious injury,

Ask A Lawyer from the Personal Injury Alliance any legal

questions you may have.

This confidential and no-obligation service puts you in direct

contact with lawyers from three of Canada’s top Personal

Injury law firms, McLeish Orlando; Oatley, Vigmond; and

Thomson, Rogers.

Submit your question at www.sciontario.org/sciontario/pia

For more information:The Rock Oasis Inc.: www.rockoasis.comMark Wellman ‘No Limits’: http://www.nolimitstahoe.comRattlesnake Point Conservation Area: http://www.conser-vationhalton.on.ca/ShowCategory.cfm?subCatID=1091



O ne spring afternoon I waslooking up boating events

where I could market and hopefully sellthe Craigcat boat. There was not enoughtime the previous year, so it was my firstfull season as a dealer, to start showingoff its great virtues, and possibly sellingsome. As I scanned the results, I cameacross a page I assumed was for a boatshow event, only to stumble upon thehome page of APBA Gold Cup unlimitedracing held on the Detroit River. As I readthe description of the boats that raced inthis event, the more intrigued I became. Icalled the box office and was passed overto a gentleman by the name of MarkWeber who answered my questionsconcerning disability access to the event.He responded to all of my questions withgreat enthusiasm, and even gave me abirthday gift of a discount to the VIP areaincluding anyone I brought along. He wasconvinced I would only have to attendthis event once to be a lifelonghydroplane fan. I secured tickets formyself and two of my friends fromOntario.

We arrived early Saturday morningon the 13th of July to the sound of jetengines ramping up as we parked. Itwas a very cool and exciting sound.When we arrived in the VIP area, it wasnot long before we met a gentlemanwho has attended the race since the endof WWII. World War Two! I had to findout more about the history of unlimitedracing!

The first Gold Cup race was held in1904, with a 6-cylinder, 110hp enginethat had a top speed of 23mph. It wasafter WWII when a surplus of convertedaircraft and other power sourcesbecame available. The most popularengine at the time being a stock AllisonV-1710 salvaged from WWII fighters.These engines, along with the introduc-tion of the Rolls Royce Merlin, wereused over the next four decades. Since1984, the introduction of jet turbinepower intended for use in the Chinookhelicopters has won a majority of theraces in the unlimited class. Theseengines increased lap speeds frombetween 140 to 170 mph. I also learnedthe Gold Cup trophy is the oldest activemotor sports trophy in the world. TheDetroit river course boasts the longestbackstretch to the tightest corner in theworld. Nowadays these missiles onwater top 200mph!

Our sightlines were amazing to saythe least. We witnessed five boatsentering this corner at speeds of close to200mph. We were told that there hadbeen a number of deaths over the manyyears of this event, with some occurringon this very corner. We also had aperfect view of the pit area. Craneswould bring the boats in and out aseach heat was raced. The first heat is themost magical as the boats have to timemarkers on the course to stay qualified

feature

ExhilaratingHorsepower on Water By Wayne MacDonald

© P

hoto

s by

John

Luc

assia

n Ph

otog

raph

y. w

ww

. Luc

assia

n.co

m


SCI Ontario • 17

in the heat. It’s coined as “the racebefore the race.” Once they qualify at theminute marker, the boats jockey for laneposition at the midpoint of the back-stretch. The boat on the outside lane isthe first to ramp up its engine, so whenthe five boats with their 60 ft. roostertails hit the corner it’s on a collisioncourse right where we are standing! Wewitnessed a heat were a hydroplane dida complete 360 degree loop, landingback on its belly. This is termed a blowover. During the course of the day eachheat is awarded points. A young up andcomer was winning each of his heats, soat the end of day one he was atop theleader board.

The next day we arrived and took ourplace to watch the heats continue. Onthe fourth heat the leader committedtwo infractions that sent him from first tofifth. At a running cost of $2,000 per lap,that had to sting.

I had the opportunity to entertain my fellowrace goers with some acoustic music in the airconditioned tent between heats. My friends and I

inal comment, we were hooked. He was agreat guy who treated us to an up closeand personal tour of one of the boats inthe pits. We met its driver who was asmucho loco as the speed of these boats.Mark also has four generations of racingin his family with himself climbing theranks to be an unlimited racer. Werounded out our stay with a beer and lotsof laughs with him and his family. Heinvited me to “Quake on the Lake” inPontiac MI the next weekend to see hisniece race the 250hp stock. This eventhad a varying array of competing classes.It was another day of cool racing and atour of the pits. Watching the skill of ahalf dozen crane operators was as enter-taining as the races themselves.

If you are ever looking for an exhila-rating experience with easy access, then Isuggest you visit Detroit to attend theAPBA Gold Cup in 2014. You will meetgreat people, see unlimited racing at its

best and witness a sport that has been aroundsince 1904. Look up Quake on the Lake whileyou’re at it. ●

At some point, everyone can use a hand.

If you’ve been seriously injured we can help. Our focus is on your

needs - there’s no reason to go through a major trauma alone.

When your future is at stake, call us at 519-438-4981,

1-877-995-3066 or online at judithhull.com

620 Richmond Street, 2nd Floor,London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5J9

Service, Integrity, Results

Motor Vehicle CollisionsTraumatic Brain Injuries

Orthopaedic InjuriesSpinal Cord Injuries

Wrongful Death ClaimsCPP & Disability Claims

Dangerous PremisesProduct Liability

Consultation offices in Toronto, Ottawa and New York CityWe do not represent insurance companies.

Judith Hull & Associates Professional Corporation

, Resultsrityy,vice, IntegSer

, Canada N6A 5J9London, Ontarioeet, 2nd Floor620 Richmond Str

, Canada N6A 5J9,oorr,

online at judithhull.com

call us at 519-438-4981, our fWhen y

online at judithhull.com1-877-995-3066 or

call us at 519-438-4981, e, e is at stakuturour f

, Canada N6A 5J9 online at judithhull.comJudith Hull & Associa

online at judithhull.comtionaporraessional Corrptes ProffeJudith Hull & Associa

agreed that when the final race was run, it was asintoxicating as the first. We finally met MarkWeber and enthusiastically agreed with his orig-



feature

B efore long, Louise had a label for that feeling, it was fear. Jennawas incredibly difficult to breast feed. She did not have the innate

ability to suck and swallow. When she was three months old, one pediatri-cian went as far as to say that Jenna was probably blind and deaf. Theadvice was to put her away and forget they ever had her.

Louise rebuked the idea. At only 10 months old, a G-tube was inserted inJenna’s stomach. For the rest of her life, liquid formula was likely to be theonly food that she could ingest. By the time their youngest daughter Kristawas able to sing and run, Jenna still had not started sitting, talking orwalking. At age seven, she was finally diagnosed with an extremely raredisorder called Congenital Myasthenia Gravis. Two years ago they learnedthat only 20 known individuals worldwide are living with this condition.

In 1995, Sam and Louise brought Jenna to see a specialist in Houston,Texas. He predicted that with treatment, Jenna would begin walking within18 to 24 months. Her cognitive ability would also improve. Nearly 20months after that, when Louise was washing the dishes one afternoon, shesuddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind her. As she turned around,she realized that the pitter-patter sound was made by Jenna! With an

unknown source of courage, shetook her very first steps at age nine!After Jenna stumbled about twometres, she fell into her Mother’strembling embrace. A miracle hadjust happened. Tears of joy wererunning down Louise’s face.

April 21, 2004, was another daythat forever changed the fate of theRusso’s. After picking up Krista fromher Air Cadets Program, Louisedecided to stop by their favouritesandwich shop. While placing herorder Louise heard a strange soundand turned to see the window hadbeen shattered and bullets werespraying the room. She quickly triedto get down but the bullets got toher first. She immediately collapsedon the floor. She felt her strengthleaving her. Although she had neverbeen in such a state, she knew itwas the state of dying.

What Louise experienced thatnight with her brush with deathgave her such strength that shenow seeks the warmth of the lightwhenever she experiences darktimes. During her near death experi-ence, she felt such love and peace.It was difficult for her to turn awayfrom the divine invitation, but shequickly returned to sobriety as shethought of Krista still sitting outsidein the car. Then, she thought aboutJenna. Who was going to take careof her when her Mom is gone?What about Steven? What aboutSam and the rest of her family? Thehorror of losing her family snappedLouise to life.

When she tried to get up fromthe floor, she discovered howimpossible it was for her body tocomply. She called out for help, buteveryone else was frantic andhysterical. Finally, a manapproached and knelt down besideher. She begged the man to checkon Krista, but he ignored her. Louisefound out years later that this manwas the mobster who planned thehit. But instead of killing his rival,she was the only person injured atthe scene. At that moment, the manwas evaluating the damage he haddone to his innocent victim. Krista,who was 15 years old at the time,

walked into the restaurant and criedout in a shaken voice, “Mommy!”Louise thanked God over and overagain for protecting her daughter.

Louise was rushed toSunnybrook Hospital where shespent the next two months. Shesustained massive internal bleeding,two broken ribs, a collapsed leftlung and a complete spinal cordinjury at the level of T3 and T4. Thenext day Louise and her family weregiven the news that she wouldnever walk again. A life sentencewas given to her for someone else’scrime. Steven who was 19 at thetime held his Mom’s hand and said,“Mom, I know what happened isterrible, but I still have my Mom.” Atthat moment, Louise and Sam weredetermined to get through thistragedy with a positive attitude. Itwould help strengthen their chil-dren’s resolve in facing challengesof their own.

The months following the injury,Jenna went to live with Louise’sparents. Louise knew she couldcount on her family with their loveand support. She also foundcourage from her doctor, nurses,staff and peers working atLyndhurst and Spinal Cord InjuryOntario. Meeting her peer supportliaison and talking to others whohad a spinal cord injury gave her arenewed outlook on life.

After eight months, Louise finally

Strength throughStruggle By Nancy Xia

October 7, 1987, a beautiful baby girl namedJenna Marie was born. Three and half year oldSteven excitedly welcomed his baby sister to thefamily. Everyone agreed she had an angelic look,with cherry-lips and greenish blue eyes. The doctorassured Louise and Sam that the baby wasperfectly healthy. But instinctively, Louise had anindescribable feeling.

Louise and the Lieutenant Governorof Ontario David Onley

Louise as a torchbearer for the2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Louise with her family.


SCI Ontario • 19

WE LET YOU FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT, BECAUSE RECOVERY IS HARD ENOUGH.

Serious injuries need expert legal representation.

At Devry Smith Frank LLP, we take care of your claim so that you can focus on what’s important to you. Call us and see why we are one of the largest and most experienced personal injury law firms in Ontario.

DEVRY SMITH FRANK LLPLawyers & Mediators www.devrylaw.ca

Contact George Frank at 416-446-5858 or [email protected].

got to go home just before Christmas, 2004. By that time, she had receivedmassive media attention for her case. Although the four mobsters who wereresponsible for the shooting had eventually been caught and sentenced,Louise did not want her story to end there. She believed she could use hervoice to promote a violence-free society by working on prevention. With thesupport of her municipal councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, on May 28, 2006,they held their first anti-violence walk. More than 1,000 people includingdignitaries, Toronto and York Region Police Chiefs attended the event.

In February of the following year, her own charity called Louise RussoW.A.V.E. (Working against Violence Everyday) was launched. The organiza-tion’s mission is to inspire youth to take actions and initiate projects tomake our society a safer place. Each year, the charity puts on an event thathosts more than 1,300 students and teachers from the GTA. At this event,youth who have demonstrated creative ways to promote anti-violence inschool and the broader community are recognized with awards of $1,500.As of today, 57 awards have been given out. On the other hand, Louiseherself has received many awards for her effort; among them is the presti-gious Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

The rest of the Russo family are doing equally well. Steven completed hisLLB and MBA and is working in downtown Toronto. Krista is in the midst ofcompleting her Masters in Occupational Therapy, a profession perfectly suitedfor her. Jenna is also one of her parents pride and joy. Her G-Tube wasremoved at the age of 19. She is now able to eat puree and soft food.Although she is non-verbal, she communicates fluently by using a combina-tion of sounds, hand gestures, a communication board and her iPad. She isactively involved in the Special Olympics, bowling and dancing. Like hermother, Jenna spends her time in the community by volunteering for Meals onWheels, playing Bocce with seniors, and participating in the Parks and

One of our speakers at our annualW.A.V.E. Empowering Youth Day Event.

Recreation Tiny Tots program. Back in grade school her teacher would say thatbeing the only nonverbal student in class she was the most vocal! Jenna alsoloves to spend time playing with her two toy poodles, Buddy and Rascal.Together, Louise, Sam and her family found strength through struggle.

Louise Russo presently is a member of Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)with the Attorney General’s Office. She was appointed to this position in2010, and is also a Peer Support Volunteer for SCI Ontario.

Over the years, Louise has been recognized for the following:• 2008: The YMCA Peace Medallion Award • 2008: Attorney General’s Victim Services Award of Distinction• 2008: TCDSB TSU (Toronto Catholic District School Board, Toronto

Secondary Unit) Award of Recognition• 2010: Olympic Flame Torch Bearer• October 1, 2010: Louise represented citizens of Ontario at the swearing in

ceremony in Ottawa of Canada’s Lieutenant Governor David Johnston• 2012: Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Medal• 2013: OTLA (Ontario Trial Lawyers Association) Safety Leadership AwardTo learn more about her organization and to view clips of her event, go towww.louiserussowave.ca.



What’s On!

Peer Support ActivitiesSport & Recreation Show Thursday, November 28Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Know Your Rights Thursday, January 30Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Disability Tax Credit & RDSP Thursday, February 27 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Location: Lyndhurst Centre, 520 SutherlandDrive, Toronto

Drop in to share ideas, discuss issues and spendtime with your peers!

For more information contact Christine Selinger at 416 422-5644 Ext. 265 or email

[email protected].

Accessibility Expo Tuesday, November 5Time: 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Location: Jim Dujrrell Recreation Centre, 1265 Walkley Road, Ottawa

Join us for a resource fair featuring a variety of products and services toassist people with spinal cord injuries; great information for people withdisabilities, families, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Free admission,light refreshments and free give-away bags for the first 100 attendees.For more information visit: www.support.sciontario.org/expo

Vehicle Modification: Lunch & Learn by Savaria Wednesday, November 6Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Location: 250 Sherbrooke Street, Centre For Independent Living

Everyone welcome! Come and hear Savariaspeak about vehicle modifications tomini-vans. Savaria makes rear, side and dualentry models with lowered floors and seatingoptions to suit your needs. Lunch will be provided.

R.S.V.P. Independent Living Centre, call 705 874 8661 or email [email protected] more information.

SCI Ontario Calendar of EventsGet involved and please join us at one of our many upcoming events across the province. Meet new people andlearn more about a host of subjects that will be of interest to you. The following provides some of our events.For more information you can visit our website at www.sciontario.org.

ever-increasing “To-Do List”, or anything else going on in your life. Climbing isunlike any other sport I’ve experienced as it’s very social.

The other climbers at Coyote Rock Gym have been quite welcoming andincredibly encouraging. My confidence has improved as well as my ability toproblem-solve, not only at the gym, but in my everyday life as well. I’malways looking for a hold I hadn't noticed or a different way of climbing aroute, whether at the gym on an actual wall or in my everyday lifereminding me to think outside the box.”

If you have ever thought about rock climbing but were not sure if it’s foryou, Chantal says, “don’t be intimidated and to give it a go!” While not allpeople with disabilities may be able rock climb, as long as they have somemovement in their upper body and hand control they should be able to do it.

“I wish I had tried climbing years earlier. I’ve been lucky to find Jean andIsabel who have come up with some innovative ways of adapting the equip-ment and helping me to adapt my way of climbing and how I use my bodyin order to be able to get up the wall. I have learned to be patient as ittakes time to learn the basics, which are extremely important. There are noshortcuts, but if you put in the time and effort it is immensely rewardingboth physically and mentally.

“I remember in the beginning, I’d look at a wall and the route I wasgoing to take to climb it and at times decide I wasn’t capable; it wasn’t apossibility for me to climb it successfully. With encouragement from Jean,

Isabel and other friends I nowclimb with, increased knowledgeand physical abilities and I nowlook at a route and wonder howI'm going to do it because I’vedecided it’s going to happen. It’sjust a matter of how and when.I get excited about finishingproblems (routes), that havebeen challenging me and itkeeps me going back to my“unfinished business”(routes not yet climbed successfully) withdetermination.

“There has to be a way up, I just haven’t figured it out yet,” is some-thing I now often say, not only at the climbing gym, but in my everyday lifeas well. It’s all about adapting, whether that means adapting gear, theroute, the way in which we move or even just our attitude. There are alwaysoptions in climbing as in life. I’ve realized it’s a great metaphor for life.”

For more information about the Coyote Rock Climbing Gym visit:http://www.coyoterockgym.ca. To learn more about adaptive climbing, sendinquires to: [email protected]. ●

Aiming High Continued from page 16

Photo: Savaria


Coloplast develops products and services that make life easier for people with very personal and private medical conditions. Working closely with the people who use our products, we create solutions that are sensitive to their special needs. We call this intimate healthcare. Our business includes ostomy care, urology and continence care and wound and skin care. We operate globally and employ more than 7,000 people.

The Coloplast logo is a registered trademark of Coloplast A/S. © 2012-01 All rights reserved Coloplast A/S, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark.

Coloplast Canada 3300 Ridgeway Dr Unit 12 Mississauag ON L5L 5Z9

Tel: 1-877-820-7008

www.coloplast.ca

A compact and practical male catheter for use anywhere, anytime

Considerably smaller than standard products, SpeediCath® Compact Male’s sleek,

compact design makes catheterisation a more discreet process.1

1,2

Learn more and sign up for free samples at speedicathcompactmale.coloplast.ca

Designed for discretion

NEW CATHETER FOR MEN

1 Chartier-Kastler et al. Submitted (acceptance study).2 Bagi et al. Submitted (pilot study).

W ENRETEHTAATC

EN MROF

actaomp cAf

cel malacicta prdn aitwh

retehta c

whyne asr uof

rlelma sylbaredsionC

kan mgiset dcapmoc

gid sne aron mraeLcpamoathcicdeeps

emityn, aerewh

ep S,stucdor pdrdanat snah tr

sie dron a moiatsiretehats cek

ts aelpmae serr fop fn uac.tsaloploc.leatm

htaCidee ® sles’lea Mtcampo C

.ssecort peerc 1

21,

,ke sle

oducts and services that make life easier for people with very personal and private medical conditions. WColoplast develops preate solutions that aroducts, we crwho use our pr

e and wound and skin carology and continence carur

ed trademark of Coloplast A/S. © 2012-01egisterThe Coloplast logo is a reserved Coloplast A/S, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark.All rights r

1 ccad ((aettimbu. Slt ar eeltsaK-rr-eitrah C2 .)yy)dutt solipd ((pettimbu. Slt ai ega B

oducts and services that make life easier for people with very personal and private medical conditions. We call this intimate healthcare sensitive to their special needs. Weate solutions that ar

e than 7e operate globally and employ more. We and wound and skin car

ed trademark of Coloplast A/S. © 2012-01eserved Coloplast A/S, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark.

.)yy)dute scnatpee

orking closely with the ped private medical conditions. WWe,e. Our business includes ostomy care call this intimate healthcar

0 people.00,e than 7

orking closely with the people

Coloplast Canada3300 Ridgeway Dr Unit 12Mississauag ON L5L 5Z9

el: 1-877-820-7008TTe

.coloplast.cawww


spectator cheering everyone onfrom the sidelines. Also, thanks somuch to our great teams of volun-teers and our sponsors, withoutwhom we could not put on theseterrific events.

Here are some of the highlightsof what happened in our ten eventsacross the province.

Jennifer Berry, our CommunityDevelopment Officer’s hands werefull this year with the organizationof four relays in Barrie, Kearney,Orillia and Owen Sound. Barrie wasthe largest of these events with anincredible 27 teams, including 17new teams, racing on Simcoe Streetin beautiful downtown Barrie atHeritage Park, and a kids Village.

With seven teams, Kearney relayparticipants endured a vigorousobstacle course on Main Street indowntown Kearney! The day flewby as teams enjoyed a roast beeflunch, a raffle, and enough prizesfor every team to walk away awinner! Kearney Fire and


What’s On!

In Ontario, at least one personsustains a spinal cord injury

every day. One of the most difficulttimes a person can experience isimmediately after an injury. Thanksto funds raised through theWheelchair Relay Challenge and bypeople like you, SCI Ontario is ableto provide much needed customizedprograms and services, givingpeople the support they need whenthey need it.

Together, we are changingpeople's lives.

This year we saw individuals,groups of friends, corporate teams,and families all enjoying fun outingsthat helped support their commu-nity and raise awareness aboutspinal cord injuries. The competitionwas friendly, and at times verycompetitive, but there was alwayslots of spirit, energy and enthu-siasm.

We want to thank everyone whocame out to support our events,whether they were a competitor or

Thank you to the hundreds of people across Ontario whohelped us BUILD a Team. RE-BUILD a Life this summerby participating in our Wheelchair Relay Challenges!Together you helped raise more than $275,000 for peoplewith spinal cord injuries.

2013

Emergency Services continue to host this relay every year and a heartfeltthank you to all of them for all their hard work!

Under sunny skies, ten Owen Sound relay teams underwent a vigorousobstacle course at the OSCVI, in central Owen Sound followed by a BBQ!

Orillia’s 12 teams experienced a challenging obstacle course atCouchiching Beach Park, Terry Fox Circle! It was a chilly, windy dayand participants really looked forward togetting warmed up with the race!Everyone enjoyed a pizza lunchand a raffle for some amazingprizes!

Sheila O’Neill, our CommunityDevelopment Officer based inLondon was also busy with threeevents in Kitchener-Waterloo,London, and Windsor. Windsor saw sixnew teams participating this yearincluding a team from the new

Orillia

London


Enjoy dependable service and low maintenance This is our pinch style emptier Permits greater independence and fluid intake The urine is held within the tubing (included) Two-switch or single switch controlled Powered by wheelchair batteries or optional battery pack. Can be customized to work with most environmental

Controllers

For More Information

Contact Dr. W. Charlton at www.assist ivedesigns.com

Assistive Designs P.O. Box 20015, 55 Hwy 118 West

Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada P1L 1T2 Tel (705) 644-1200 fax (705) 646-8845

Electric Leg Bag Emptier

Canadian products s ince 1988

SCI Ontario • 23

WindsorExpress Basketball club along

with their mascot, Coal Train. TheWindsor Spitfires Josh and LiamMurray attended to sign autographsand start off the races. In a battleof the cities, teams from Windsorand Kitchener competed in theKitchener relay with Windsor beingfaster, but Kitchener raising morefunds.

London’s event featured a recordnumber of 35 teams. Once againthe fastest team title saw a head tohead race with the LondonFirefighters and Police teams. Thisyear the Firefighters came in first.Thanks to everyone, and congratula-tions to Cohen Highley’s team forbeing the top fundraiser for thethird year in a row.

Sarah McKinnon’s event inOttawa ran smoothly and the cold,damp day didn’t hamper anyone’sfun with a ton of activities to enjoyincluding an obstacle course, BBQ,mini-massages, and face painting.The HOT89.9 FM team kept thingshopping with great music. TheCornwall event featured ten teamsincluding city councillors, andhockey players from the River Kingsand Cornwall Colts, competing onthe obstacle course to the sound ofmusic played by CJSS radio stationrepresentatives. A specialthank youto LisaSteer and

Rick Lapierre fortheir hard workhelping organizethis event.

Thanks also toJackie Bloom whomanaged ourevent inHamilton. Thecommunity

came out in full forcewith the fastest team once againawarded to the Peer SupportFireballs. They are a force to be reck-oned with and led by our own RonRattie. Speedy Gonsalves had twoteams in the relay led by CarlosGonsalves and they were theoutstanding fundraisers for the day.Special thanks to the HamiltonRelay sponsors and the dedicatedstaff of the Hamilton office whomade the day a great success!

After staging our Toronto eventfor years at Yorkdale, and then lastyear at Lyndhurst Centre, we movedto the grounds at Ontario Place tocelebrate our 18th spectacular year.Lynn Miñeque said, “This was anoutstanding move for us and it wasthe perfect venue.” More than 300people took to the track including37 corporate and community teams.The relay was emceed by StellaAcquisto from CITY and featuredactivities and entertainment forspectators including Mark Verge,six-time World Champion BalloonArtist.

Sincere thanks to all everyonewho helped make our events sosuccessful this year. We lookforward to seeing you again atnext year’s Wheelchair RelayChallenges! ●

Barrie

OwenSound

Windsor

Kearney



THANK YOU WHEELCHAIR RELAY SPONSORS

All Best Nursing, Henderson Structured Settlements, IBEW Local 105, International Union of Operating Engineers,Mackesy Smye, TD Financial Services, Taylor Leibow

Tierney Stauffer LLP

TORONTO

HAMILTON

PROVINCIAL SPONSOR

OTTAWA AND CORNWALL


SCI Ontario • 25

THANK YOU WHEELCHAIR RELAY SPONSORSSOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO

BMO, The Corner Cookhouse, Cottage Country Towing, Domino’s Pizza Barrie, Edmonds Motors, Festing Toyota Inc., Huntsville Inn, Kawartha Credit Union, Kool 107.5, Medichair, Monto Reno Marina, Art and Edna Murdy, Reg Noble’s Used Cars, SCI Supply, Shaw Heating, Sobeys Innisfil, Solutions Rehabilitation & Consulting, Sprucedale Argomart Ltd., JG Stewart Construction, Paul and Meg Stoyan, Sun Life Financial, RBW Graphics, Walker-Bumstead Insurance & Financial

BARRIE, MUSKOKA AND OWEN SOUND REGION


2nd Place and Top Fundraising Team:Emsdale Kawartha Credit Union

Georgian College Teams with Mayor Angelor Orsi (right) and MP Garfield Dunlop (left)

Fastest Team: Perry Township Fire Department


Top Fundraising Team: Steelers with

Ed Valender (seated on the right).

Barrie

Top Fundraiser: Karen Schmitz (centerof photo) with Team Simcoe Speed.

Best Team Spirit: Hawks Landing 'Fillies'

Fastest Team: Colin Wilson Consulting

Cornwall

Orillia

Top Male Fundraiser &Oldest Participant:

Roy DupuisTop Female Fundraiser:

Laura Mann

Kearney

from across the province!

Top Fundraising Team: Orillia Youth Haven

Fastest Team: Back to Function

Top Fundraiser: Tara Atkins

Most Determined Team:

Team Baffin


SCI Ontario • 27

KitchenerWaterloo

WINDSOR top fundraising team for second year in a row Larrek Investigation & Research SPYDERS

PIGs Can Fly from Burn Tucker, Personal Injury Lawyers

The Hollingsworth team decked out in purple

WINDSOR Top team sprit for second

year in a row, Rolling Rabbits

WINDSOR Mayor Halloran, MP Peter Braid andMPP Catherine Fife opened our races with a

demo race – MP Peter Braid won!

The Ergo 2014 Team

Ottawa

Continued on page 28

A great start at Ontario Place

Relayers got a great Toronto city view

Toronto

Rush hour at the relay - with more than 300 racers


Cheering on the teams

Fun for the whole family

Bag toss


employment

To this, all I have to say is you are overlooking the true power ofTwitter and the positive effect it can have on your job search.

Twitter was created in 2006, as way for co-workers to effectivelycommunicate with each other via text messaging. It has grown to over 500million users and is now the largest social media platform worldwidesecond only to Facebook. Unlike Facebook, Twitter is considered to be themost searchable and interactive of all the Social Networking platforms.Searching for information on Twitter allows you to search every tweet(twitter message) ever sent. With Facebook, you are limited to informationfrom your friends or those who choose a public profile. For example, whenyou search for the terms “Hiring” and “Toronto”, you get results fromanyone who has used those words in a tweet. Most likely, these will berecruiters or employers who are tweeting something like, “I’m hiring for a(insert job title) in Toronto.”

In addition to being highly searchable, Twitter is extremely interactive.Once you have found someone who is Tweeting about job opportunities,you can follow that person and reply back to them right away. With LinkedIn

and Facebook you are required to wait for a person to approve yourrequest. This means as soon as you see the job ad, you can apply for theposition and send a tweet informing the recruiter of your application. Ifdone correctly, this can result in the recruiter checking out your twitter page.A properly worded bio and a link to your LinkedIn profile can entice therecruiter to give your resume a stronger look.

Third party Twitter applications like tweetmyjobs.com, twitjobsearch.comand jobshouts.com make it easier to search for job related tweets. An estab-lished network of Twitter peers (known as followers) allows you to accessinformation and individuals that you would not otherwise have had. In addi-tion to this there is the ease of connecting with recruiters and industryleaders, and Twitter goes from trivial and silly to relevant and effective.

By the way, there are no sentences in this article longer than 140 charac-ters.

For more information on SCI Ontario’s Employment Services, pleasecontact Jenny Gilker, Employment Information Coordinator at (416)422-5644 Ext. 245 or email [email protected]. ●

Twitter: Putting theSocial in Social MediaOne of the most frequent criticisms of Twitter is that it is trivialand a little silly. How can you get a message across in just 140characters and why are people so intent on commenting on thequality of their sandwich choice?

OwenSound

Windsor

Most Spirited Team: Wild Wheelers

EMS Grey County AWARD

Encouragement!

By Jenny Gilker, Employment Information Coordinator


Your Partners in Service®

Since 1981

1.800.263.8537 www.henderson.ca.hwww1.800.263.853

Proud Sponsor of

aon.cersnde7 1.800.263.853

Proud Sponsor of

Since 1981our PartYYo

Since 1981®s in Serviceour Partner



feature

This was the first of two workshops withReal Artists Reaching Everyone (R.A.R.E.)

Theatre Company. R.A.R.E’s mandate is to give avoice to certain groups of people who can bemarginalized in our society. They work with theperformers who tell their raw and bold stories intheir own words. Under the guidance and expertiseof R.A.R.E.’s Artistic Director, Judith Thompson, thegoal is to produce a play next spring. There will betwelve performances at the Young Centre for thePerforming Arts in the Distillery Historic District inToronto.

The play is a bold mix of art and advocacy. Itenables people with spinal cord injuries and other

physical disabilities to publicallycomment on issues that impacttheir lives. It is a chance to tell ageneral theatre audience what it islike to live with a disability. This isimportant for people to hear, asreally, the only difference betweenthe people on stage and those

sitting in the audience is a momentin time… what happens in aninstant lasts a lifetime.

The general perception oftenseems to be that living with adisability isn’t that hard. There areaccommodations in society andconstant discussions about accessi-

By Gillian Lynne-Davies, Manager Communications and Marketing

Boldly Setting the StageFor seven days in late September and earlyOctober, twelve people came together to sharetheir stories. Nine had spinal cord injuries andthree had disabilities from birth. All were partici-pating in a theatrical workshop about their livesand the role of their disability in their lives. Manytopics were discussed including their accomplish-ments, key moments in life, love and sadness tomention just a few.


SCI Ontario • 31

bility. The average person most likelythinks people with disabilities arefairly well taken care of in oursociety. But as we all know, thereare misunderstandings, inconven-iences and injustices. Mistreatmentis rampant. As participant SpiritSynott says, “I hope we can engagethe audience in a way that willmake them want to do somethingabout it.”

Another participant NikolettaErdelyi points out a further miscon-ception. “There is this idea that welive dull, boring lives. And we’regoing to challenge that.”

During the workshop, the partici-pants have shared many personalexperiences bringing them closer asan ensemble. Robert Burendescribes the process. “I’ve foundthe experience to be a celebrationof ability and life. It has been verypowerful and moving for me.”

The next workshop takes placein December. Between now andthen, Judith Thompson will take allthe stories and key moments from

the workshop and pull togetherwhat she calls a “fat” script. InDecember, the group will refine theirstories and add movement andtheatrics to transform the work intothe play. Rehearsals will follow andthen… Show Time!

Anthony Lue sums up his partici-

pation in this project with, “I’mdoing this because our voices needto be heard.” Words of truth andcourage.

Thank you to all twelve partici-pants who will reveal their stories –and our collective stories – in thespot light. ●



feature

O rdinary Woman, Extraordinary Dreams is a film about lifewith a spinal cord injury. The story which we featured in

the Outspoken! 2012 fall issue outlines the challenges faced byMaggie Sofea and her family as they adjust to Maggie's spinal cordinjury and finally return to the isolated First Nations communitywhere Maggie sustained her injury.

Collaborating film director Maggie Sofea sustained a spinal cordinjury while at a remote family fishing camp at the age of ten, anddue to the nature of her injury was forced to leave her homecommunity of Summer Beaver in Northwestern Ontario. With thesupport of documentary film director Jim Hyder this whole experi-ence led to the development of the 90 minute inspirational filmtitled Ordinary Woman, Extraordinary Dreams. It is a visually movingand truly inspirational story about the challenges faced by individualsand their families living with physical disabilities in isolated FirstNations communities and the need to face those challenges individu-ally and as a collective community.

A film delving into the issues that surround life with a spinal cordinjury is followed by an interactive engagement session. Communityengagement will be encouraged through an education/facilitator’sguide about the important issues raised in the film – around barriersto living in remote communities, access to healthcare, suicide andother First Nations issues.

Select cities and towns across Northwestern Ontario, includingNibinamik (Summer Beaver), Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout, Dryden,Kenora, and Fort Frances. The film premiered in Toronto at the BloorHot Docs Cinema on September 30, 2013. (See details athttp://www.sciontario.org/event/toronto/ordinary-woman-extraordinary-dreams-film-screening)

Three city premier launches and at least six additional communityengagement screenings of the film will be held between lateSeptember 2013 and June 2014.

For more information, please call 416-536-6581. ●

By Jennifer Berry, Community Development Officer

ORDINARY WOMAN Extraordinary Dreams“The dream is, as a person with a disability, I want to be anexample that you are still able to do anything.” Maggie Sofea

ORDINARY WOMAN ExtraordinaryDreams

New Name. New Look. Same SolidCommitment!Home for theHolidays!Wheelchair Relay ChallengesReflections of theLondon 2012Paralympics

The Magic ofMackinaw

SCI ONTARIO CHAMPIONS EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE, ADVOCACY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES.

sciontario.com

Outspoken!Fall 2012

n Winter 2009 2013-10-11 4:41 PM Page 1

Swing Your Sticks Golf Tournament

The 22nd annual Swing Your Sticks GolfTournament took place on Sept. 6, 2013, at

the Stone Tree Golf Club and proceeds raised fromthe tournament will be supporting many charitieswithin the surrounding area of Grey Bruce County.SCI Ontario – Grey Bruce Chapter has been therecipient for many years now and Pat McDonoughand Merv Breadner were presented with a $5,000 cheque by Founding Member RobDutton on the day of the tournament. After the event, another $5,000 was added, benefit-ting SCI Ontario a total of $10,000! This brings the total of $171,000 over the years fromthe Swing Your Sticks Golf Tournament. Thank you to everyone who participated, sponsoredand donated to our event, and to the Swing Your Sticks committee for their hard work. ●


rial Samples:TCall for

environmental bac

theHelps

rial Samples:

teriaenvironmental bac

bypass catheter

L4G 1G3G 1G3a, ONa ONororurA

y St.95 Mareder LimitHollist

1.800.263.7400Phone:

1.800.263.7400

it is designed to help you catheterise easilyclinician,

daily routine with confidence.

pre-lubricated gel catheter that helps you manage your

Advance intermittent catheter is a hygienic,The

it is designed to help you catheterise easily

Recommended by your daily routine with confidence.


Advance intermittent catheter is a hygienic,

. it is designed to help you catheterise easily

Recommended by your


Advance intermittent catheter is a hygienic,


WAt SCI Ontario, we know how important it is for people withspinal cord injuries to get home.

There’s no place like homeAfter all, Spinal Cord Injury Ontario was started from soldiers returninghome from the war.

Determined men who fought to keep our independence and help ourcountry, returned home needing the help of their own communities – friends,families, rehabilitation centres and hospitals. Together they fought to achieveindependence, self reliance and full community participation. They formed theCanadian Paraplegic Association, now Spinal Cord Injury Ontario.

One soldier in particular, the late Conn Smythe served in WWII afteralready serving in WWI and earning a Military Cross. He was injured, whichalmost resulted in paraplegia. He went on to recover, although he experi-

enced pain and other complications for the rest of his life. Conn Smythe was an effective and important SCI

Ontario board member. He obtained office space andstored equipment for the organization at Maple

Leaf Gardens. He brought the likes ofWhipper Watson, King Clancy and

Harold Ballard together toassist the organization in itsfundraising efforts.


By Shirley Clark

As we approachRemembrance Day onNovember 11, I hope thatyou'll keep all of our soldiersand veterans who fought inthe war, and those that arestill serving, in your heart.Soldiers like Steve Daniel whojoined up with the CanadianForces when he was ateenager and served 14 yearsin the Royal CanadianRegiment’s 1st and 3rd Battalions. He served four tours of duty in Croatia,Bosnia and Afghanistan.

As a Parachute Instructor in airborne operations, he had 170 militaryparachute descents under his belt. On July 30, 2005, Steve was partici-pating in free-fall parachute training when he sustained a traumatic SCI.He misjudged his landing and hit the ground hard, fracturing his T-11vertebrae paralyzing him from the waist down. It took 4 days for theswelling to go down before they could even operate. The soldier whodevoted a large part of his life to the Canadian Forces made it home, butnow had to adapt his life.

Steve connected with his SCI Ontario regional services coordinator toreceive support, services and knowledge in his home town. This supportalong with the programs and services such as information and education,peer support, and financial support for daily living and equipment needsmade the difference in Steve’s life, so that Steve could return to his home.

Home is kindness, forgiveness, love and respectJust like Conn Smythe, Steve served as a Board Member because he believesin SCI Ontario. He is also a donor. “I personally donate to SCI Ontariobecause I appreciate the support I have received in the past and do my bestto pay it forward to others living with an SCI,” says Steve.

Some of the best things about getting ready for this time of the year are Remembrance Day,November 11, and of course, the holiday season. These are times of the year, when we celebrateby gathering together as friends and families to share memories and laughter.

giving

Home forthe Holidays


SCI Ontario • 35

Home is where the heart isSCI Ontario supports returning veterans and all individuals withan SCI. We help to make life as normal as possible again so theycan enjoy all celebrations, the best of all, the Holiday Season.

As the holidays approach we think of home, our place ofcomfort, of refuge. What if you knew that you could make awarm, inviting home for the holidays for someone who needs it?

At SCI Ontario, we will do whatever it takes to assist a personto rekindle a passion for life and to live independently in theirown home and community. Some of the approximately 600Ontarians who experienced a new SCI in 2013 will spend theholidays in a hospital or rehabilitation centre.

For the second year in a row, we offer the Home for theHolidays program to make sure that together, we can make theholidays special for Ontarians with SCI; helping with transporta-tion, attendant services, equipment for the home andrehabilitation.

Since 1999, SCI Ontario front-line staff started an internalHoliday Fund Campaign that continues today. Money collectedfrom staff goes into the Enhancing Independence Fund forclients who need assistance. The Home for the Holidayscampaign expanded by asking potential donors to help raisefunds that will provide support now and throughout the year.

Please join us to make thiscampaign a success. You canpurchase gifts for someone to get them home including:$35 to help to pay for transportation to appointments andshopping;$100 to provide two hours of attendant assistance in prepara-tion for the holiday meal with friends and family; or$225 to help provide needed assistive devices like a lift to getout of bed, to meet family and friends.

This Holiday Season, open up yourheart to help get people homeafter sustaining an SCI. Help SCIOntario bring people Home forthe Holidays, by giving a gift thathelps rebuild a life.

Visit our website atwww.sciontario.org to make thisholiday season happy and healthy.You will be glad you did! Charity begins at home, butshould not end there.

This Remembrance Day,celebrate and honourour soldiers and thosewho are rebuilding theirlives throughout hometowns across Ontario.



feature

My unique approach to matching buyers who are looking for accessiblehomes with sellers who have homes that are – or could be – easilyconverted to meet my client’s brief is at the heart of what I do.

The story of Matthew and Nathalie is a perfect example. Matthew hasquadriplegia and he wanted to find a condo for them to share.

But as Nathalie says, that was only the beginning of their story. “Before Matthew, I didn’t know much about the actual needs of

someone who uses a wheelchair, let alone purchasing and making a homeaccessible. I have two sons ages 15 and 17 who we had to consider, and Ihonestly didn’t have any hope that we would find a place in which wecould all be comfortable. But fortunately, Matthew knew Jeff from acommunity event he attended.

I learned that accessibility is often in the details. Jeff entertained everyconcern that Matthew had, from the thickness of carpet in the corridors tothe dexterity required to operate key fobs needed to access the parkinggarage.

Jeff truly understood our vision and took our list of very specific ‘musthaves’ and found us the home of our dreams.”

Wheelchair friendly homes are rare, but as a result of my extensivetraining and experience working with people with disabilities, I can recog-nize the potential of how to make a house or condo accessible. A laundryroom can be moved from the basement to the main floor. Installing anincline platform lift can be a simple solution to the challenge of stairs. Insome homes, adding an elevator may be easier than you think. Counter topscan be lowered and bathtubs can be converted to roll-in showers.

But beware. Buyers looking for a wheelchair friendly home should realizeaccessibility is not just blindly saying a home can be easily modified. Someoptions may not be realistic in every home. Find a real estate broker special-izing in accessible homes who has a network of accredited professionalswho can provide an expert opinion on the practicality and costs of thepotential changes that may be required.

Modifications to make a home comfortable for people of all ages,regardless of their level of disability can be achieved. At the end of the day,any home that is modified now will appeal to the growing number of anaging population who will be looking for a variety of accessibility features inthe future.

For more information, on finding an accessible home or one that can bemodified to suit your needs, contact:Jeffrey Kerr, Broker, RE/MAX Unique Inc.Tel: 416-424-2222Email: [email protected]: http://www.accessiblehomefinder.com ●

Accessible Friendly Real Estate

Accessible housing is a passion of mine. I have been a real estateagent for 14 years. In addition to traditional real estate, I

founded AccessibleHomeFinder.com, an online resource for accessiblehomes and condos.

Unfortunately, there is a shortage of well-built accessible homes in manycities, including Toronto. This can create a problem for families who need ahome that can accommodate their specific needs.

Garages, fenced in yards, hardwood floors and granite counter tops arenot too hard to find, but when you add wheelchair accessibility to the list,the options that are available are suddenly reduced.

I am very pleased to provide my new regular feature for Outspoken! magazine that willcover a variety of topics relating to homes that are friendly to people who use wheelchairsand other real estate that is accessible. I like to call this Wheel Friendly Real Estate!

By Jeffrey Kerr


SCI Ontario • 37

This event enabled people with variouslevels of spinal cord injuries and other

physical disabilities to experience thefreedom of sailing.

As a peer and a sailor who has beeninvolved with this program for over 10 years,I was delighted to be asked to come andshare my personal experience about theprogram. I know firsthand how much sailingchanged how I appreciate life. Some of thegreat things that sailing allows me to do isto get out of my wheelchair, take control

and be totally independent operating avessel and enjoy the beautiful skyline ofToronto from a unique vantage point.

Sailing is one of my greatest passions.Introducing the sport to other people is aneven greater feeling when others experienceit for the first time. It allows me to relive myfirst experience all over again!

We had about 10 people register for theevent and six of those individuals went outfor a 20 minute sail. Everyone had anamazing experience. One individual in partic-

ular, Reza Pesteh, described his experiencewith me. He said, “I was nervous at first as Iwas unsure of the boats stability. I reallywanted to go, so I overcame my fear withreassurances from the volunteers. It wassuch a great feeling to be out of my wheel-chair with the wind and water splashing inmy face. The volunteers instilled confidencein my ability to sail and with the aid of someof the assistive technology I was able to sailindependently. Sailing challenged my percep-tions of my physical limitations. I also really

feature

By Kevin Rogers, Information Resource Coordinator

This past June an exhilarating event took place. As partof the Spinal Cord Connections educational series, ToryBowman, the Spinal Cord Connections EducationalCoordinator organized a sailing day with the Queen’sQuay Disabled Sailing Program.

Sailing Day



feature

GUIDE TO ADVERTISERSSCI Ontario thanks its advertiserswho have made the production ofthis issue of Outspoken! possibe.

LEGALDe Rose Personal Injury Lawyers

www.deroselaw.ca Devry Smith Frank LLP

www.devrylaw.caGluckstein & Associates

www.gluckstein.comJudith Hull & Associates

www.judithhull.ca McLeish Orlando LLP

www.mcleishorlando.com Oatley, Vigmond Personal Injury Lawyers LLP

www.oatleyvigmond.comPersonal Injury Alliance

www.pialaw.ca Singer Kwinter Personal Injury Lawyers

www.singerkwinter.com Thomson Rogers, Barristers and Solicitors

www.thomsonrogers.com

MOBILITY & MEDICAL SUPPLIES Assistive Designs

www.assistivedesigns.com Coloplast Canada Corporate

www.coloplast.caHollister Ltd.

www.hollister.com/canada/ RGK Wheelchairs Inc.

www.49bespoke.com SCI Supply Inc.

www.scisupply.ca

REAL ESTATEREMAX Unique Inc., Brokerage

www.AccessibleHomeFinder.com

RESEARCHChoices

www.choicesproject.ca

STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTSHenderson Structured Settlements LP

www.henderson.ca

We are looking for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to participate in a randomized clinicaltrial to discover the health benefits from six months of exercise with either body-weightsupported treadmill training, or arm cycle training. Exercise must be performed at McMasterUniversity (Hamilton), Lyndhurst Centre (Toronto), or Brock University (St. Catharines).

To participate, you must:• Be between 18 and 60 years of age• Have a chronic (more than two years) SCI between C4 and T6• Have a motor complete injury (i.e., AIS A or B)

You will be compensated for your time and involvement in the study ($700).

Even if you are not interested in this exercise study, please contact us for additional paid studiesin SCI at McMaster University!

If interested, please contact: Jason Au • Tel: (905) 525-9140 x27037 • E-mail: [email protected] visit our website for more information: www.choicesproject.ca

enjoyed the social environment, the volunteers, staff and fellow sailors who were verypositive. It was great that I could include my son this day as well.”

Reza became a member of Queen’s Quay Disabled Sailing that day. He has beenback several times throughout the summer. His son joined as a volunteer and lovesenjoying this sport with his father.

Most people who came out that day became members of the Queen’s QuayDisabled Sailing program and have sailed throughout the summer. If you have neverbeen why not, “throw caution to the wind,” and enjoy the liberty of being on theopen water!

This event would not have been possible without the dedicated volunteers and staff atQueen’s Quay Disabled Sailing. We are grateful to both Marcel Deurvorst and Gloria Makat QQDSP for sharing this experience with our members. If you would like to get moreinformation about disabled sailing in your area check out their website: www.disabled-sailing.on.ca or give me a call at (416) 422-5644 Ext. 213 or toll free at 1-877-422-1112. If you’d like more information about upcoming events with Spinal Cord Connections,please visit our website at: www.sciontario.org or call the number above. ●


416-868-3100 | 1-888-223-0448www.thomsonrogers.com

YOUR ADVANTAGE, in and out of the courtroom

“ No doubt about it. A permanent spinal cord injury will depress you... but you have to work through it and realize that life goes on and still has a lot of wonderful surprises for you.” – Frank Nunnaro

No doubNo doub““Nwill d

bt abobt about it. A pss b t

ermanent spinah t w

al cord injurywill depress you... but you have to work through

will depit and rewonderf

u... but press you... butrealize that life gful surprises for

you you have to wooes on and stillgoes on and still

”r you. – Frank N

roughork throughl has a lot ofl has a lot ofNunnaro

o is a rFrank Nunnarmanager at an Orillia IGA when he had a terrible car accident that damaged his spinal corand left him a paraplegic.

After intensive r, Frank haickyy,V

the middle of the summer

eal talent for barbecue cooking. He was a pregular guy with a ro is a rmanager at an Orillia IGA when he had a terrible car accident that damaged his spinal corand left him a paraplegic.

yndhurst Hospital, and with the loving help frehabilitation at LAfter intensive r, Frank has gone on to become one of the gr

icky host an amazing barbeque party at their WFrank and Vthe summerr

eal talent for barbecue cooking. He was a prmanager at an Orillia IGA when he had a terrible car accident that damaged his spinal cor

yndhurst Hospital, and with the loving help freat BBQ hosts of the century, Frank has gone on to become one of the gr

icky host an amazing barbeque party at their W

oduce eal talent for barbecue cooking. He was a prd manager at an Orillia IGA when he had a terrible car accident that damaged his spinal cor

om his wife yndhurst Hospital, and with the loving help fr. Every year in eat BBQ hosts of the century

asaga icky host an amazing barbeque party at their W

the middle of the summerBeach home. Frank likes to think of it as a rtestimony to the human spirit.

e honoure arWfriend and one of the many everyday her

icky host an amazing barbeque party at their W, Frank and Vthe summerr,Beach home. Frank likes to think of it as a rtestimony to the human spirit.

esented Frank Nunnarepred to have re honourfriend and one of the many everyday her

icky host an amazing barbeque party at their Weal celebration of life. WBeach home. Frank likes to think of it as a r

o in his lawsuit and to count Frank as a esented Frank Nunnaroes we have been able to help.

asaga icky host an amazing barbeque party at their We like to think of it as a eal celebration of life. W

o in his lawsuit and to count Frank as a oes we have been able to help.

416-868-3100 | 1-888-223-0448.thomsonrogers.com www

YOUR ADVin and out of the courtroom

416-868-3100 | 1-888-223-0448.thomsonrogers.com

AGE, ANTTAR ADVVAin and out of the courtroom

416-868-3100 | 1-888-223-0448


Proud Member

Ontario’s Personal Injury Law Firm

oud MemberPr

y Lanjurryersonal IIn P’sioOntar

rmw Fi

Retu

rn U

ndel

iver

able

Mai

l To:

SCI

Ont

ario

, 520

Sut

herla

nd D

rive,

Toro

nto,

ON

M4G

3V9

Buying or Selling a WheelchairAccessible Home or Condo?

Call Jeff.JEFFREY KERR, BROKER

��

��

� ��

�� ! ��#�� $�� %��

Great InvestmentOpportunity!


outspoken magazine fall 2013

Documents