A Sarnia native is part of a team of blind individuals that will inline skate from Windsor to Ottawa this month.
From September 1 to September 10, Matthew Shaw said he will relay-skate 1,000 kilometers with three other blind hockey players and four guides to raise awareness and $100,000 in support of blind hockey programs across Canada.
"I was born with hearing loss," said Shaw. "I've been hearing impaired all my life and a few years ago I learned that I was also losing my sight, which was quite an adjustment, as a father, a husband, and a professional. One of the things that I found really helpful, as I eased into this new way of life, was the opportunity to get back to playing hockey."
The 39-year-old was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome in 2019 and has about five to seven per cent of his vision.
"There's a common perception that you either are blind or you're not. Only about 10 per cent of people who have vision loss live without sight fully. On this skate, most of us have some degree of vision. In my case, I see the world through a periscope and it's shrinking. Some of the objects in my visual field tend to disappear."
While he lives in Toronto now, Shaw still has family and friends in Sarnia, who he said have been really supportive.
"I was born and raised in Sarnia, Ontario and spent the first 19 years of my life there until I moved to Toronto to go to school and my professional life has kept me in Toronto. I went to St. Helen elementary school and St. Christopher high school, both of which no longer exist. I grew up playing hockey in Sarnia and one of my fondest memories is that my dad always made a backyard ice rink."
More information about Shaw, and a link to donate toward the #COURAGE21 trip, can be found here.
https://twitter.com/CDNBlindHockey/status/1432858849648779266