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Topic: Steve Daniel, RCR paralympian. (Read 405 times)
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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God provide you with the strength to succeed, Steve.
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Former soldier aims for 2008 Paralympic Games
Posted By Luke Hendry
Steve Daniel has every reason to be bitter, but today he's happier than ever.
Two years ago, Daniel was paralyzed from the waist down after a parachuting accident at CFB Trenton's Mountain View detachment.
Now he's a record-breaking athlete and is aiming for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games as an adaptive rower.
And for those who know the 33-year-old, it's not surprising.
It was supposed to be just another jump.
On June 30, 2005, Sgt. Daniel was in training to be a freefall parachute instructor; he was also in charge of parachute operations for his Petawawa-based Royal Canadian Regiment's third battalion.
The day's second jump would be his 102nd in freefall.
As the airplane passed over Prince Edward County's Mountain View airfield at 12,500 feet, Daniel jumped - and knew moments later he was in trouble.
"I was coming in too fast and didn't realize how fast I was going," said Daniel.
He tried to brake, but there wasn't enough wind. So he landed on his rear end - hard.
"I knew as soon as I landed that something had gone terribly wrong. I wasn't able to get up."
Daniel was taken to hospital in Belleville, and figured he had broken his leg or hip.
But a doctor told him he'd burst-fractured his spine's T-11 vertebra, and would likely be paralyzed below the waist.
Daniel underwent surgery in Kingston and 2.5 months of rehabilitation in Ottawa.
He'd spent 12 years in the military; now he began planning to leave it.
"I didn't want to be along the sidelines. I wanted to chart a new path."
His wife, Danielle Fraser, said her husband was quick to adapt.
"He accepted it pretty quickly, a lot quicker than I did," she said. In July 2006, they and their son Owen, still a toddler, moved to Daniel's native Sudbury, where their new home had just been built. That fall, Daniel started a three-year business administration course at Cambrian College, seeking the post-secondary education he'd wanted since enlisting right out of high school.
He also reconnected with Sgt. Andrew McLean, with whom he'd served in the past. McLean was a co-founder of the Soldier On program, which helps military staff, retirees and relatives cope with injury or illness through sport.
Daniel became the first person helped by the program, receiving a wheelchair in which he could play on Sudbury's wheelchair basketball team.
"It was pretty much the highlight of my week, being able to socialize with people who are in the same predicament and play basketball with them," Daniel said. "I found it very therapeutic."
Soldier On later sent Daniel and Fraser to Mt. Washington, B.C., where he spent an "invigorating" week sit-skiing.
Also on Daniel's basketball team was Minna Mettinen-Kekalainen, who had been in a wheelchair for about the same length of time as him.
Last summer, she introduced him to adaptive rowing. He trained both in an actual boat and on a rowing machine called an ergometer.
There's no water in indoor rowing: instead, competitors row on their machines, with their progress on the one-kilometre "course" displayed on video screens.
For two months, Daniel trained on his basement ergometer; he was coached by Thomas Merritt.
Daniel trained for the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships, held Feb. 3 in Toronto. Though it would be his first national competition, he was excited because his practice times showed he had a shot at medal status in the arms-only adaptive rowing category.
He was more than ready: his gold-medal time was four minutes, 29.6 seconds - a national record for arms-only rowers.
"I was pretty impressed with myself," Daniel said with a laugh.
"Based on my time, I'll be invited to the national men's selection camp this summer to compete for a spot on the Canadian national team."
Now he and his coach must work to convert his indoor performance into a strong ability on the water.
"That's not a trivial undertaking," Merritt said, but added he's optimistic despite Daniel's underdog status. "Given the focus and the drive that Steve has shown, I think it's going to come together."
Today Daniel is president of his basketball club, and has found both funding and more games for it. He plays sledge hockey with Sudbury's Northern Sliders team, and is trying to raise the $6,500 he needs to buy his own boat for rowing.
Above all, he's happy.
"I've always been a very positive person," Daniel said. "At the time of the accident I never thought in a million years I'd be this active or even this happy with my life. Once I accepted the fact that I'm in a wheelchair I just saw it as a challenge. You still have to live life."
Fraser said that approach makes her husband a role model.
"If there's one thing our son is going to know, it's that no matter what circumstances you go through in life, you can always excel."
lhendry@intelligencer.ca
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Doug Clarkson
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Wow, what a great story Mike, I know Steve from 3 RCR and 1 RCR, another thing to note about Steve is that he was the 2i/c of the Cambrian Patrol Team in, I think, 2002 or 2003 when they last won a Gold Medal. Sgt Durnford, man I can't remember his first name, was the Patrol Commander. Anyway Steve was a real good guy, it's really good for the heart to hear that he's doing well, Thanks for this post.
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Cornwallis 78 - 79, 1 RCR 79 - 84, Cyprus 84 - 85, 1 RCR: 85 - 89, Cyprus 89 - 90, 1 RCR 90 - 92, Kingston 92 - 94, 1 RCR 94,
Croatia 94 - 95, 1 RCR: 95 - 97, 3 RCR 97 - 98, Bosnia 98 - 99, 3 RCR 99, CFJSR Kingston 99 - 04, DAT Kingston 04 - 07, Retired: 07, Class "B" BCWO Assistant CFB Kingston 07 - Present
UNFICYP 2, UNPROFOR, NATO Former Yugo, CFPSM, QGJM, CD1
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3810
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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I wonder if there would be a way the association could support this endeavor, if not with cash, perhaps a new RCR tracksuit and some stickers for his chair and boat.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Doug Clarkson
Veteran 100+ Member
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Gender:
Posts: 171
Pro Patria
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That's a really good idea Mike, let me know if I can help.
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Cornwallis 78 - 79, 1 RCR 79 - 84, Cyprus 84 - 85, 1 RCR: 85 - 89, Cyprus 89 - 90, 1 RCR 90 - 92, Kingston 92 - 94, 1 RCR 94,
Croatia 94 - 95, 1 RCR: 95 - 97, 3 RCR 97 - 98, Bosnia 98 - 99, 3 RCR 99, CFJSR Kingston 99 - 04, DAT Kingston 04 - 07, Retired: 07, Class "B" BCWO Assistant CFB Kingston 07 - Present
UNFICYP 2, UNPROFOR, NATO Former Yugo, CFPSM, QGJM, CD1
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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Wow, its really nice to see this Mike. I wish him the best in all his future, which it seems he has well in hand..how to go Daniel, may you continue to do what you love...ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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