Eleven Seconds Changed One Man's Life

Travis Roy skated onto the ice during his first collegiate hockey game at Boston University 17 years ago and within 11 seconds he suffered a spinal cord injury that would make him live as a quadriplegic. He wrote a book about the skating accident, "Eleven Seconds."

Roy, now a motivational speaker, came to the Cunningham and Collicot elementary schools recently to speak with fourth- and fifth-grade students enrolled in the district.

 He spoke about spending the past 17 years in a wheelchair and how his life has changed, but also how he is still finding ways to challenge himself, mentally and physically.

During the Question and Answer part of the program, students asked many questions, which included “Can you cry?” “Do you sleep in your wheelchair?” “Do you still like hockey?” and “How have your goals changed since your accident?”

Roy is the founder of the Travis Roy Foundation, an organization that helps to fund research for spinal cord injuries, as well as funding wheelchairs, ramps and equipment for disabled people.