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By Randy Schmidt
Ben Hagkull has a shirt in his closet that reads: Don't tell me what I can't do! It says a lot about the budding athlete, who at eight years of age has nine triathlons under his belt. That would be exceptional enough, were it not for the fact that Ben has spina bifida, a birth defect that has left him with no sensation below the knees.
Ben likes to push the limits, says his dad, Brad. He'll be the first one to go down the hill. He's got a vibrant personality.
But that shirt says a lot about the support of his family, as well. It was given to him by an uncle. And that can do attitude may have something to do with his mom Sheryl and his father, the other half of Team Hagkull, who, when Ben first expressed an interest in racing, refused to dismiss it. Instead, they found a way to manage the challenges of each stage of the grueling swim, bike, run event.
"There are a world of voices out there that say you can't," says Brad. "Sheryl and I want to be on the side of those who say, yes you can. We are just trying to leave all the options open for Ben as long as we can."
Brad recalls the beginning of it all, four years ago, at their home in Chilliwack, B.C. The family was relaxing watching a DVD that featured Dick Hoyt and his handicapped son, Ricky, doing the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon together. An Ironman is a competition for elite athletes and involves three phases: a four-kilometre open-ocean swim, a 195-kilometre bike ride and then a full marathon (42 kilometres).
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Ben piped up, and told his parents he wanted to do that.
"I thought if Ricky could do it, then we could as well," says Ben, who also enjoys wheelchair basketball, drawing and playing lego with his friends. "I wanted to be in a competition like him."
Brad recalls at first they all had a good laugh. "But then, Sheryl kind of raised her eyes. And something happened inside of me. I began to think about it seriously."
As parents of a child with spina bifida the number one birth defect in Canada affecting one in 750 births and of an older son with a condition called syringomyelia, resulting in scoliosis, Brad and Sheryl learned early on that what initially can seem like an impossible challenge, can open up a whole new world, if you embrace it. Brad recounts it wasn't an easy road with Ben.
"The wheel chair aspect was tough for us," he says. But he and Sheryl have found strength in their faith. And we have so many great role models, like Rick Hansen, and others who take on sailing, skiing and even mountain climbing.
"I'm not some super dad," says Brad. "Most dads just want the best for their kids. I'm an ordinary dad just following my dream for my kids."
Soon serious plans were underway to participate in their first event at nearby Harrison Hot Springs a sprint triathlon, or shorter version of the Ironman. Like the Hoyts, Brad would pull Ben in the swim leg in an inflatable dingy, with a special harness. He began swim training at the local leisure centre.
... to be continued
January 3/2008
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