Students Inspired by Travis Roy's Story
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| Travis accepts a Brooks sweatshirt from Mrs.
Becker |
In a dining hall quieter than it has ever been when
students are on campus, the entire Brooks School community sat riveted by
the words of 28-year-old Travis Roy, a former Boston University hockey
player who was paralyzed just 11 seconds into his first game with the team
on October 20, 1995.
In the eight years since his accident, Travis has come
to terms with his situation, has found the strength and determination to
go on with his life, and is now sharing the valuable lessons he has
learned with students in the New England area. He speaks to students about
the importance of setting goals and maintaining the discipline it takes to
meet those goals. Setting goals and working hard was the formula Travis
used to realize his goal of playing Division I hockey and he continues to
live his life by this formula today. “We must continue to chart a course
for our lives. Set goals and live every day to the fullest as we strive to
achieve them,” he tells students. “If life takes an unexpected turn, hang
on to the goals that are still realistic, and reassess those that are
not.”
On Wednesday night, Travis' talk began with a video,
which showed him growing into a standout hockey player in Maine, playing
for two years at Tabor Academy, and then replayed those fateful 11 seconds
in his first game with the Boston University Terriers. For his first
college game, Travis told the Brooks community, he dressed with the
Terriers' third line. As he went onto the ice for his first shift, the
puck went into the corner. He skated into the corner and intended to give
a hard body check to the North Dakota player.
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Travis autographs books for
students after his talk |
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