Chapter One-Power Play Preview
This post is based on an excerpt from my upcoming new book Closure After Stroke
Every 40 Seconds: A Life Becomes Out of Balance from Stroke
I’ve had this happen to me a few times in my life, and my first one was on the ice at 17
Background refections, and a bit of hockey nostalgia
Why I am wearing a team USA jersey this weekend
The 1980 "Miracle on Ice" victory by the young U.S. men's hockey team 46 years ago over the seemingly invincible Soviet Union squad still transcended sports; it became a powerful cultural and political symbol. It also shaped how I wanted to follow a similar path on the ice in my young adult life.
[Sidebar] Today, as ‘we the people’ in many ways as a Nation face an enemy from within our own administration, can a game once again help the US have something to feel good about again? Not this time from defeating a feared rival, but from symbolically triumphing over the current state of national division and maybe get behind one team and one flag again if only for one day.
Closure After Stroke Preview
There are times in your life you remember when things were out of balance. Perhaps for you, if you are reading this as a stroke survivor and you are early in your own recovery journey, this may be that time in your life now and these feelings hold true.
Our brains ability to help hold and hopefully learn from our memories, both good (like the US hockey team winning Olympic Gold in 1980) and bad, is quite remarkable.
For example, if you were old enough to remember when the US came under attack on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I bet you still remember where you were, and what you were doing on that date now referred to simply as 911. The images on TV and the uncertainty of war that followed kept us all out of balance for some time. For those that lost loved ones during 911 or the conflict that followed I’m sure today you still feel out of balance from your loss.
The impact of living through the trauma for many, changed their life’s path as well. I remember for a while our country was united in a common cause, and many enlisted or joined in the call to serve at home and overseas and this event ignited a new spark to become first responders, firemen, or police officers for example after 911.
I admit if my wife and I hadn’t just started a new family with our first born, then 2 month old daughter Ally, I may have also answered the call to serve too. Regardless, those traumatic memories, including details of these impactful events are remarkable and leave a lasting imprint on all our brains as we try to heal and restore balance.
Similarly, If you ever physically felt out of balance from a medical event or crisis, like a stroke or auto accident for example or the horrific loss of a parent, child or close friend you know this feeling of terror and being out of balance as well.
One traumatic event from my teen years which I never shared before publicly is the topic for the opening chapter, ‘Power Play’ in my upcoming new book. I’ll be releasing this first chapter in a free preview audio later this coming week.
This traumatic event and the impact it had laid the foundation for feeling my body was somehow out of balance, and these memories actually later inspired my career path into healthcare as well as the writing of my first book, Body In Balance.
To be honest, this somewhat ‘random unexplained event’ while on the ice at a high school hockey practice may at first to others feel insignificant, but today when I look back and connect the dots I realize it impacted what I do today in my professional career and stroke awareness advocacy.
I’ll also explain this connection back to this significant event on the ice more in other chapters of my book to be released in May where you’ll meet more stroke survivors and hear their connected stories.
My Story Starts with the ‘Miracle on Ice’
Hockey was always in my blood and my first love. My dad taught me to skate at 4 years old and I never looked back. It wasn’t until recently while writing this book manuscript I realized how the lessons I learned from playing this sport and learning from my father helped me in my recovery and on the life path I am on today with my family.
I grew up as a Boston Bruins fanatic and my idol was of course as a defenseman, Bobby Orr. I say my story starts with a miracle on ice because I happened to be entering high school (wearing #4 of course for Bobby Orr) when the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team won gold in what will forever be known as the ‘Miracle on Ice’.
‘Like every young hockey player in that era, I knew I wanted to follow that path to glory to take a shot at trying for gold one day too and representing team USA.’
Spoiler alert: Unfortunately like many Olympic hockey hopefuls, I didn’t quite get there and chapter one of my book will dive into how stroke played a role in my fate. Power Play will set the stage for my story in recovery and eventually after many games and challenges in life to realizing ‘this is my time’ to shine in finding Closure After Stroke.
Stay tuned for the first chapter ‘puck drop’ later this week!
My hope is that by sharing my journey through my book it will also be a call to action to know stroke at every age, especially for young stroke survivors that often get dismissed as ‘something else’ because you are ‘too young’ to have a stroke. That was the lesson I learned at 17, as you’ll soon discover.
“Do You Believe in Miracles?”
If you need a bit more inspiration before Sunday morning’s big gold medal hockey game, just watch this clip. Or even better watch the full Miracle movie.
I won’t tell you how many times I’ve already watched it but my kids certainly know as I have been guilty of breaking into the “Miracle speech” more than several times over the years to pick them up as needed!
“Now Go Out There and Take It!”
“USA” “USA” Chime in below!
What a game today!! I was touched by the honour to Gaudreau.
Thanks for sharing the preview! Bobby Orr is my Grandma’s first cousin - I grew up just outside of Parry Sound and he’s a hometown hero!