Holland Bloorview’s Ironman, Xavier.

Determined to achieve a new personal best in racing and fundraising, this young adult recently crossed the finish line of his first triathlon in support of Holland Bloorview.  

At fourteen Xavier was on a family vacation to Death Valley Nevada when a longboarding accident resulted in multiple brain hemorrhages and diffused axonal injury. Months after the accident and surgery, he asked to be referred to Holland Bloorview, to get further support through the hospital’s day patient program.

From strengthening his foot, to brain and mental health support, and (as a native French speaker) immersing him in an English environment, Xavier is grateful that at Holland Bloorview he was able to co-create a rehabilitation plan that made sense for him. As a pro-active athlete getting back to physical challenges was something he was eager to do. Which is why it’s no surprise that to come full circle with his recovery, he ran a half-ironman in support of Holland Bloorview.

We got to chat with Xavier about his race and what his time at the hospital meant to him.

What was unique about the care you received at Holland Bloorview?

At Holland Bloorview, two of the services which stood out to me the most were the integrated school and gym. The school allowed me to stay on top of my schoolwork even while I was not attending my high school which I found to be a great stress relief knowing that I wasn’t getting behind on work.

The gym was always an experience as there were derivatives of every sport to make it inclusive for everyone to play and participate.

What kind of challenges did you face while training for the Half Ironman?

The biggest challenge I faced when preparing for the race was swimming. I’ve always known how to get around in the water, but I had never raced or trained on performance swimming. Also, I never particularly enjoyed being in the water, which helped me to get out of my comfort zone. The process taught me that the only way to do something you don’t enjoy doing is to trick yourself into liking it. This will turn it into your new reality over time and repetition.

What kept you motivated throughout your training? 

When training for an endurance race, staying motivated and disciplined is always the most critical aspect. Between the self-doubt of “Can I really do it?” and having to train on those days you want to sleep in or skip that training session, you must push through. These are the moments which will allow you to get you to where you want to go.

Whenever I thought of giving up, I reminded myself that there is a whole community at Holland Bloorview where “giving up” is not a term in their vocabulary. Ultimately, to stay motivated, I remembered that I was fundraising for a cause I cared about and while I was training and racing this was a great way to stay consistent and disciplined.

What did you learn through this experience?

Working towards the race, I learned that gradual incrementation of the distances and intensity were the best way for me to improve. On the same parallel, this was the methodology that Holland Bloorview gave me to recover from my brain injury

To keep going past your limits, you must have a purpose on why you are doing so beforehand. This was critical to help me keep on running even when my entire body was telling me “no more”.

Your community is there to support you and all one has to do sometimes is to inquire for a helping hand.

Is there anything you want to say to your Holland Bloorview care team? 

All I want to say to the Holland Bloorview care team is to express my gratitude for their professionalism, kindness and guidance and for helping me get back to thriving. I also want to say that they should keep doing the good work they are doing as their impact is much greater than they can imagine. Children will always remember the great things and little details they do and that’s what makes them different from just a normal kid’s rehab.

Now that you’re done the Half Ironman, what’s next? 

Now that the Half Ironman has been completed, I decided to set my next race/goal for next year doing either a Full Ironman or an Ultra – only question I still have unanswered is: Where and which one of these two if not both!