Hayley Wickenheiser and Ryan Straschnitzki on June 16 for An Evening with The Lending Cupboard at Red Deer's Cambridge Hotel. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

ACCESSIBILITY

Hockey heroes Straschnitzki & Wickenheiser give ringing endorsement to The Lending Cupboard

Jun 17, 2022 | 12:52 PM

Two very high-profile athletes, bonded by an unwanted friendship of terrible circumstances, shared glimpses into their inspiring lives Thursday night, at An Evening with The Lending Cupboard.

Hockey Hall of Famer, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, whose list of accomplishments is titanic, and the ultra-motivating Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Ryan Straschnitzki, met days after the fateful crash of April 6, 2018, when the latter was just beginning his hospital stay and long road to recovery.

The duo gave the Red Deer-based organization, which lends out medical equipment, a ringing endorsement at Thursday’s event, then closed the night by making a joint $10,000 donation.

“I actually hadn’t heard of The Lending Cupboard, and I’ve lived in Calgary for 30 years,” Wickheiser told rdnewsNOW. “Being part of this was a no-brainer, given what I do on a daily basis in medicine. I see a lot of people leave the hospital, and their life is altered forever or temporarily, and I wonder how they’re going to be supported. The pandemic has made things really hard for people to get access to supports and services, so The Lending Cupboard is brilliant, and I don’t know why we’re not doing this across the country.”

Straschnitzki, an Airdrie native and founder of the Straz Strong Foundation, says supports akin to The Lending Cupboard have helped him since the crash.

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“A community rallying around a certain program can go a long way,” said Straschnitzki, now 22. “Because I was able to have that support from the beginning of my stay in hospital, I’ve been able to progress, and so have my teammates.”

Straschnitzki continues treatment at Calgary’s Synaptic Neuro Rehabilitation Centre, and is persisting with a program he began in Thailand following the crash.

“I’m working on small movements to hopefully one day get walking again. I’m also carded with the national para hockey development team, and I’m training at WinSport with the goal of making Team Canada’s 2026 Olympic roster,” says Straschnitzki, who shared with the 200 in attendance his initial struggle to sit up and reach for a piece of paper a foot away.

He also urged business owners and municipal planners to increase accessibility in public places and private establishments. Straschnitzki described an experience where he was forced to traverse an entire city block simply to ensure he didn’t do a front flip in his wheelchair while going down too steep of an incline off the sidewalk.

“Before I was in a wheelchair, I didn’t know a whole lot about the medical side of things. Now, I’ve realized that things in society are quite inaccessible for people with disabilities. This is why The Lending Cupboard, and things like it, are absolutely incredible.”

Straschnitzki has been speaking in schools, including in Red Deer, to young kids whom perhaps don’t quite comprehend the gravity of what’s transpired in his life. Nonetheless, he feels his message is impactful.

“A lot of the lessons I’ve shared through my talks are things I want them to integrate into their lives at some point. Everyone eventually faces a challenge or adversity and I don’t want them to experience the downfalls I had to learn the hard way,” he said. “You want them to have a plan where they know how to handle certain situations, so they don’t have to go through all the crappy parts of a challenge like I did.”

Wickenheiser’s adversity has been on a different stage recently, and not on the ice, but the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. She completed her degree at the University of Calgary as the global health crisis was setting in.

“Medicine has been an interesting journey. You go from life in hockey, which is very much… we call it the ‘disease of me,’ where you’re caught up in yourself all the time; then you step into medicine and you’re focused on everybody but yourself. I’ve enjoyed the change, going from a veteran to a rookie again,” says Wickenheiser, 43, and head of player development with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I’ve seen a lot of people go through a very difficult time and it’s been very eye-opening, but I enjoy it every day because it’s a helping profession, and that’s how I was raised.”

Added the four-time Olympic gold medallist and Over the Boards author: “The Lending Cupboard is truly a great organization. If you haven’t heard about it, I encourage you to check it out. We all know someone in our lives who could benefit from them.”

Dawna Morey, The Lending Cupboard’s executive director, said both Wickenheiser and Straschnitzki have lived inspiring lives, and have rightfully so relied on community to help them through at times.

“I align that with The Lending Cupboard, which needs community to continue to grow its legacy in this city,” Morey said. “It was heartwarming for us to hear their messages, because it reaffirmed what we do and that we’re doing it right.”

The Lending Cupboard (7803 50 Avenue, #1, Red Deer) processes several thousand pieces of medical equipment annually.

More information about The Lending Cupboard is at lendingcupboard.ca.