Triple amputee Samuel Seehawer hits the ice at charity hockey marathon

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Born with congenital amputations, that means he has underdeveloped arms and is lacking one leg, 19-year-old Samuel Seehawer had the honour of dropping the puck as a shadow referee on the fourth Hockey Marathon for the Youngsters.

He has participated in every hockey marathon not directly, together with the 2022 marathon that set a Guinness World File for the world’s longest hockey sport. The marathon is focusing on 262 hours — or practically 11 straight days — of steady play this 12 months to interrupt their very own report, all within the identify of elevating funds for most cancers analysis.

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Samuel believes that it’s all the time necessary to assist individuals out when you’ve got the flexibility. He mentioned seeing everybody supporting youngsters in want by the marathon over time, whereas elevating cash, is one thing he’s loved.

“They’re actually enjoying 11 days straight. I can simply hop on the livestream at any level,” mentioned Samuel. “If I’m at school they’re enjoying hockey, if I’m driving round they’re enjoying hockey, if I’m sleeping they’re enjoying hockey. It’s cool to recollect the form of sacrifices they’re making for the children.”

He mentioned he was completely satisfied to be concerned as a shadow referee for the opening sport.

“Simply to have the ability to skate together with all people else was fairly particular. Having the ability to be concerned in any form of manner is all the time good,” he mentioned. “It’s additionally fairly enjoyable.”

From Cambodia to Calgary

Samuel’s journey had a quite complicated starting, having been born in Cambodia and deserted at start as a result of individuals with any form of abnormality are thought-about unhealthy karma in some elements of the world, in keeping with Charlotte Seehawer, Samuel’s adoptive mom.

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After spending a few month in hospital, Charlotte mentioned he was transferred to a authorities orphanage in Cambodia that she occurred to be volunteering at.

“Once I went into the child room, I noticed the ground plagued by all these little ones, and I noticed Sam — he was the tiniest — I picked him up,” she mentioned.

“My coronary heart was simply being torn aside seeing these youngsters.”

After a month of serving to care for youngsters at that orphanage she returned to Calgary, telling her then 18-year-old daughter and husband, Mark, “There’s a child that wants us.”

Charlotte later returned to Cambodia, and after a prolonged course of — involving each the Canadian authorities in addition to Cambodia’s — she was lastly in a position to take Samuel to Canada in 2005.

‘If I see it, and I wish to do it, I simply attempt my finest at it’

Quick ahead to 2024 and now 19-year-old Samuel is attending the College of Calgary in his second 12 months, eyeing a grasp’s of enterprise sooner or later. He performs males’s league sports activities, together with hockey, soccer, and soccer.

He makes use of a prosthetic leg, however has all the time declined prosthetic arms, saying he’s not very keen on them.

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“It didn’t actually really feel pure to be trustworthy … with a leg, you form of want a leg to stroll,” he mentioned. “For arms, I had already to take action many issues, and getting one other arm would have made me should relearn all the pieces.”

He’s in a position to kind near 150 phrases per minute, which he attributed partially to an affinity for pc video games.

“If I see it, and I wish to do it, I simply attempt my finest at it.”

‘Samuel has all the time needed to show himself’

One of many largest challenges Samuel has confronted over time is different individuals not believing he can do issues, mentioned Charlotte.

“Samuel has all the time needed to show himself, not simply be accepted right into a sport or right into a group exercise,” she mentioned.

He grew to become the primary ever a number of amputee to ever be accepted to the Royal Canadian Military Cadet Corps on the age of 12, however Charlotte mentioned he was not allowed to affix at first.

After going all the way in which up the meals chain to Ottawa, he was in a position to be part of with restrictions equivalent to not being allowed to parachute, work with explosives, or use firearms.

The final one didn’t cease Samuel for very lengthy, in keeping with Charlotte.

“Within the summertime, all of the cadets from in every single place go to Vernon, and there’s over 3,000 cadets there to allow them to’t keep watch over every considered one of them.”

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When it got here time for the firing vary, Charlotte mentioned Samuel was in a position to “come dwelling with all bull’s-eyes”, and the firearms restriction was lifted.

“He simply needed to do issues the way in which he wanted to, not the way in which society thinks it must be performed — that you need to have ten fingers and ten toes.”

Samuel mentioned he understands that phrases aren’t all the time going to be highly effective sufficient to beat doubts some could have.

“It’s a must to truly show that you are able to do it in a manner, as a result of typically individuals have to see it to consider it,” he mentioned.

Hockey Marathon for the Youngsters has been going since puck drop on April 5, and is anticipated to proceed till April 16. To be taught extra or donate go to hockeymarathon.com

— With information from Scott Strasser and Michael Rodriguez

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