Numerous people battling grave illnesses participating in Olympic torch relaysPublished Sunday December 13th, 2009
Tobi Cohen, THE CANADIAN PRESS
SAINT-EUSTACHE, Que. - Steps away from the handoff, Greg Shulkin stopped his motorized scooter, unfurled the Olympic torch from its holster and, with a little help, slowly began to walk the final few paces of the relay.
He earned boisterous applause from his parents, brothers, nieces, nephews, friends and a few hundred flag-waving supporters who gathered last week to watch the flame pass through the town of St-Eustache, near Montreal.
Those few paces were his own Olympic feat. It's one being accomplished across the country by numerous people with serious, and in some cases terminal, illnesses who are getting the chance to carry the flame.
Shulkin contracted viral meningitis 17 years ago, fell into a coma for five weeks and suffered a heart attack that left him legally blind, unable to walk and reliant on dialysis to survive.
"I just want to show people you can overcome challenges if you put enough effort into it," said Shulkin, 35.
"Everyone is going to have hurdles in life - it's just how you approach them."
Shulkin is one of many anonymous torch bearers to win a moment in the spotlight as the Olympic flame crisscrosses the country on its 106-day journey to the 2010 Games in Vancouver.
He's not a celebrity, a politician, a community leader or an Olympian like most of the 12,000 people selected for a coveted spot along the 45,000 kilometre relay route.
Shulkin fits into the small category of those chosen for their perseverance in the face of life-threatening adversity.
The road to the Olympics is paved with setbacks, personal trials, and anguish.
Days before his mother was to give him a kidney, Shulkin had a massive stroke that left him paralysed on the left side.
After months of rehab, he finally got his kidney and, despite a grim prognosis from his doctor, he went on to complete an honours degree at Concordia University and write a book about his experience. He now works for his father's home-cleaning service and doubles as a motivational speaker.
For a once-avid football, baseball and basketball player who's now resolved to enjoy sports from the sidelines, the torch relay represented both a personal feat and a chance to inspire others.
"Being part of an Olympics is so inspirational," an exhausted Shulkin said moments after completing his leg of the relay.
"(It's) a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Being part of something so large that represents peace across Canada and the world, it's a fantastic inspiration."
Louis Sansfacon was among the late applicants for a relay spot.
It's not because the 51-year-old executive is bad with deadlines; it's just that life took on new meaning two months ago when he learned he had potentially terminal cancer.
The lifelong athlete who's participated in at least a dozen triathlons is now fighting for his life after being diagnosed with bone-marrow cancer and leukemia.
His kidneys are now functioning at 50-per-cent capacity and he's hopeful that a rigorous regimen of chemotherapy, blood transfusions and more than a dozen daily pills might increase his chance of survival.
Sansfacon can't help but equate an Olympic athlete's quest for gold with his own fight to live. As he watched the torch-lighting in Greece, he decided he wanted in on the experience.
"The torch relay would become a symbol of determination, will and success," he wrote to Olympic officials in a desperate plea for a spot on the roster.
"My goal is to demonstrate, by running or walking with the flame, that the objectives pursued by athletes are the same as those who are battling an illness."
Earlier this month, he was handed the flame by none other than Olympic CEO Marcel Aubut.
Despite shortness of breath and a lack of energy, he managed to run it through the heart of Quebec City, drawing strength from the boisterous crowd.
"It was extraordinary," Sansfacon said.
"I was supposed to just walk but because of all those people who were uplifting me by their presence, it was like I was in another world."
With his 101 steps, Sansfacon hoped to raise awareness about the importance of blood and organ donation.
His first 100 paces were meant to represent blood or "sang" in French, which happens to be a homophone for the French word for 100 -"cent".
"My last step would be to sensitize people to organ donation, in my case bone marrow. Because that's the last bridge I will have to cross in order to win (my battle)," he said.
Later this month, 16-year-old Gavin White will carry the torch in Guelph, Ont.
The teenager spent the last year re-learning how to walk and run after Guillain-Barre syndrome left him paralysed and on life-support.
"Not many people get to take their first steps twice," said the Grade 12 student.
"I want to get the most out of life that I can."
An avid hockey player and cyclist who worked two jobs the summer he got sick, White was thrilled when asked in June if he'd like to carry the Olympic torch.
Scott Tabachnick, who has spent the last three weeks following the flame, said he's been reduced to tears on a number of occasions by the incredible torch-bearers he's met.
He recalls one New Brunswick woman who shed 175 lbs. in preparation for the relay. Originally 400 lbs., she began swimming and walking in an effort to get healthy. Carrying the torch was the climax of her journey.
"I just couldn't stop crying. Every time I saw her, I'd start smiling and the emotions would overcome me," said Tabachnick, a spokesman for relay sponsor Coca-Cola.
The company received about 1 million nominations for its 4,500 torch-bearer spots, which were awarded through an online contest.
"The hard part was picking the best stories and making sure those people got the best opportunity," he said.
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