Frost defends Russian title, inspires others

Posted May 5, 2011 By Charelle Evelyn

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EMC News - Despite setting and holding records for whipping around the ice, a local athlete does some of his best work when he slows down.

Deaf-blind speed skater Kevin Frost recently returned from Russia, where he defended his title as the top overall skater at the Open Blind Cup in Chelyabinsk. Frost has Usher's Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes progressive hearing and vision loss.

The April tournament saw Frost win five gold medals and break three of his own records.

"I think my time and training really paid off," Frost said, noting he had not competed since the Masters' International Speed Skating Games in Calgary at the end of February.

This is the second time the Orléans athlete has participated in the invitational event, which he said is key to eventually getting speed skating into the Paralympic Games. "I want to get it going in the right direction," Frost said, adding his reputation preceded him overseas. "(My coach and I) were treated like kings. When you're a former champion, everybody knows about you," he said.

As a non-sanctioned sport, competing in blind speed skating events requires a lot of support and sponsorship.

'It's a very expensive trip," Frost said. "If it wasn't for my sponsors....this wouldn't have been done."

Because of the support Frost receives from the community, he tries to give back where he can. While in Russia, he made a presentation to a local school for the blind, bringing along five canes donated by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Tools such as canes and seeing-eye dogs are very uncommon in Russia, as Frost found out on his last trip in 2009, as they use human guides for those who have impaired vision.

During his presentation, Frost said he was moved by one boy, who, despite not speaking the language, sang an English song for the skater (The Beatles' Yesterday). "I was so touched by his dedication and generosity. It was a good boost to the competition," he said.

Now that he has returned to Canada and speed skating season is over, Frost continues to share his story and successes in order to inspire others. Last week, he could be found at the Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre (OCTC), making a presentation to parents of children in the Infant Hearing and Blind-Low Vision programs.

The presentation was one of a handful of sessions put on every year as a way for parents to connect and find resources, explained Kellie Denny, services and support coordinator for Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre's specialized preschool programs.

"The parents benefit from the interaction," she said, adding last Thursday's event was the first time the two programs were combined for an evening. Pinecrest-Queensway runs the two programs, which are funded by the Ministry of Child and Youth Services. The OCTC is one of the partner agencies for the programs as well.

For Joanna Labonte, the evening provided an additional opportunity to connect with Frost, whom she first met at a fundraising barbecue last fall. Labonte's two-and-a-half-year-old son, Campbell, was born prematurely at 24 weeks, with a condition that leads to blindness and has minimal hearing.

Labonte has been following Frost's journey on his website and calls the athlete a mentor, not only for her son in the future, but also for her entire family.

"Our son can do whatever he wants to in life," she said, adding Frost's ability to inspire and the time he has taken to interact with her family is "just as big a gift as being an athlete, if not more, in our eyes."

cevelyn@theemc.ca




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