Wheelchair rugby athlete to speak on resilience
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pembina Valley is bringing a speaker to town with an inspiring story of resilience to share.
Reese Ketler was paralyzed during a hockey game six years ago. In the years since, he’s shared his journey on social media with hundreds of thousands of followers
Six years ago, Winnipegger Reese Ketler was playing junior hockey when he collided with an opposing player and hit the boards headfirst. The resulting spinal cord injury left Ketler a quadriplegic.
In the years since, he’s shared his journey of healing and independence on social media, becoming a popular content creator with hundreds of thousands of followers around the world.
Ketler will be at the Winkler Arts and Culture Centre on Thursday, May 21 to share his thoughts on how a positive mindset, a strong support system, and role models can all change the direction of your life, no matter what obstacles life might throw in your way.
“He has experienced a lot of hardships, and he’s a very, very inspiring individual,” says Jenelle Neufeld, executive director of the local Big Bros. chapter. “He’ll be speaking to the experiences he went through and the perspective that he had to have in order to come out the other side of it the way that he has.”
Neufeld feels Ketler’s story will certainly resonate with a lot of people.
“We’re a very big hockey community, and he talks a lot about how he put a lot of his identity into being a hockey player, or just sports in general,” she says, noting Ketler had to come to terms with losing the abilities he once had and discover a new path in life. Today, he is training to compete in wheelchair rugby at the 2028 Paralympic Games.
The evening, dubbed Big Resilience, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and include beverages, charcuterie, and a silent auction. Tickets are $60 each at pembinavalley.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/event/big-resilience, or find the link on the agency’s social media pages. Seating is limited, so book your tickets soon to avoid disappointment.
Funds raised that night will go to support Big Brothers Big Sisters’ ongoing mentoring programs for local youth.
“He’s going to be speaking a lot about resilience, and I think a lot of our youth that we mentor are very resilient as well,” observes Neufeld, noting Ketler also touches on the importance mentorship has had in his life.
If you can’t make the evening but still want to support the cause, you can stop by the art gallery at 547 Park St. when it opens at 1 p.m. that day to take part in the silent auction. Auction prizes will be revealed in the days leading up to the event.
