11 seconds in Travis Roy's life are a lesson for students

By MANNY CORREIRA
Special to the Journal

MIDDLETOWN -- Some say an entire life can change in a minute. In Travis Roy's case, it took just 11 seconds.

In his first varsity game for the Boston University hockey team in October 1995, Roy suffered a spinal cord injury in a freak accident that left him paralyzed.

Last Thursday, he visited St. George's School as part of its orientation program for freshmen to talk about the importance of setting goals, reaching potential, defying odds, taking advantage of opportunities, and taking initiative in one's life.

Now living in Boston's Back Bay, Roy had the 72 ninth-graders spellbound. Said one observer, "I don't think I've ever seen this many students this quiet for one full hour. You could hear a pin drop."

In his opening presentation, Roy sat in his wheelchair in front of a large screen while a video played, showing his progression as a hockey standout in Maine and then those agonizing early moments of his first college game. "I had never been so excited in my life," said Roy, in describing his initial feelings when he walked onto to the ice for that game. "I had realized my main goal and dream in life ... to play Division I hockey. I wanted to be in this first game when they raised the championship banners (BU was the defending NCAA Tournament and Beanpot Tournament champions)."

Journal photo / Bob Thayer "My neck hurt a little bit, and I couldn't feel the glove on my hand. That's when I knew I was in big trouble. That's when I knew it was over." TRAVIS ROY

As a first-year player, Roy was assigned as the third-line center. As the game got under way, the puck got dumped in the corner, and Roy, his adrenaline flowing at an all-time high, went skating after it. His intentions were to make a hard body check, but the opposing player eluded his check and Travis ended up head-first into the boards.

"I fell face first on the ice," he recalled. "My neck hurt a little bit, and I couldn't feel the glove on my hand. That's when I knew I was in big trouble. That's when I knew it was over."

X-rays later showed that Roy had broken his third and fourth cervical vertebrae, severely damaging his spinal cord. He was paralyzed from the neck down.

"I also had a couple of collapsed lungs and I was on a ventilator for two months," he continued. I couldn't walk or talk. It was tough."

Throughout his long rehabilitation, Roy remained confident that he would someday get out of his wheelchair and return to some sort of normal life.

"I wondered what my life was going to be like now," he said. "But I got used to things as time went on. I could use my wheelchair and go wherever I wanted to go."

Through hard work and rehabilitation, he rebounded and went back to school to complete his education.

"There is a life to live," he kept saying to himself. "My dad always pushed education. I needed to go back to Boston University to get my education. That's what I did. I knew I wasn't going to be a hockey player anymore. I kept my head up. I got people to acknowledge me. I learned I could fit in. Those walls that were building around me were starting to come down. I started moving forward."

Roy said never once did he question his strength and determination to move on.

"I'm still the same person," he said, "and I still have the same values. I got my confidence back."

Roy's rise in hockey began when he was 20 months old.

"There was a question whether I walked first or skated first," he laughed. "I played all kinds of sports ... which ever one was in season. At that time, I started writing down some of my goals, like how many goals and assists I wanted to score. I wanted to play Division I hockey. That was my biggest goal."

Journal photo / Bob Thayer INJURED ON THE ICE: Travis Roy, in silhouette, watches a tape of the hockey game in which he was injured. The viewing was part of his presentation to students at St. George's School. The tape showed Roy hitting the boards.

Following a two-year stint at North Yarmouth Academy, Roy moved on to Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., and then was recruited for BU.

"I always liked to challenge myself," said Roy. "I met Coach (Jack) Parker at BU, and I knew this was the school I wanted to go to. Tabor Academy was the best two years of my life. It was a great opportunity. Now, I would be going to a top-notch Division I school."

Since the accident, Roy has shown such determination to make a life despite his paralysis, that four years ago his jersey number 24 was retired and raised to the rafters of the Walter Brown Arena. It was the first time in school history that a hockey number had been retired.

Roy, 28, has also written a book, Eleven Seconds: A story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph, and established the Travis Roy Foundation, which raises money for spinal cord injury research and medicine.

"It's been a struggle for me to find a new passion," he told the students. "Hopefully, you'll find a new joy and make it grow."

"I will get out of this wheelchair," Roy insisted. "I know I will. Maybe ten years down the road we'll find a cure for this thing. We've got to keep on working and fighting."