Travis Roy provides inspiration at St. Mary’s

LYNN – Travis Roy has traveled a long and challenging road since a freak accident during his first college hockey game at Boston University left him paralyzed below the shoulders nearly 13 years ago.The former high school hockey star, now confined to a motorized wheelchair, is making the best of his situation, cherishing the things in life that make him happy. But that does not mean that the hurt has gone away, or that he doesn’t sit and dream of a day when he can stand up and hug his parents.Speaking to the St. Mary’s senior class Thursday morning, Roy was not only open about the pain and sadness that followed his tragic story, but also offered hope and motivation, sharing the things that make him happy and provide hope when it seemed that all hope was lost.In a speech that was as emotional for the audience as it was for Roy, the now 33-year-old Maine native spoke about love and respect, and encouraged the seniors to set goals for themselves and make good decisions when they arrive at college in September.”It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you go in life, it is never too late to figure out what you want to do and set goals for five or six years down the line,” Roy said. “I don’t know any other way to achieve what you want other than to set goals and write them down? Your incentive should be to see how good you can be once you find your passion.”Thoughtful and soft-spoken, Roy took the senior class on a journey from his childhood in Maine to the day as a high school freshman that he decided he wanted to play Division 1 college hockey and eventually move on to the National Hockey League, and the U.S. Olympic team.Overcoming a mild form of dyslexia to maintain a B average, Roy chose Boston University over nearly every Division 1 hockey school in the country – including Harvard – to pursue his budding hockey career.While most of the students in attendance were only four or five years old the day that Roy lost his balance and slammed head-first into the boards, rendering him motionless on the ice, the player brought along footage and described what was going through his mind at the time to give the students a realistic look at what took place.”It was the best day of my life, but before it ended it would be the worst,” Roy said, describing the pride he felt knowing he would play in the first game of his first year in college. “I skated into the corner and decided I was going to make my presence known and body check the North Dakota player, and I had a good angle. I hit him and he moved a little, as anyone would do, and I lost my balance. I hit the boards head-first. I was thinking ‘This is no big deal, I have fallen hundreds of times. Just get up and skate over to the bench.’ My brain was sending the signals, but my body wasn’t responding.'”I didn’t know anyone who had ever been paralyzed, but it is a funny thing, it doesn’t take you long to know that it happened.”As Roy’s father stood by his side on the ice, his son looked up and said “I made it,” acknowledging that, while he was only able to play for 11 seconds, he had achieved his goal of playing Division 1 hockey.Roy described the hopelessness that he felt in his Boston hospital bed, and later the rejuvenation that took place at a rehabilitation center when he realized there was still so much for him to achieve in life, even as a quadriplegic.”What I really got out of (the rehabilitation) was that I had more living to do as a quadriplegic than I had ever thought. It took a while to realize the difference between the able-bodied Travis Roy and the paralyzed Travis Roy, but I slowly realized there was no difference,” he said. “The best part about having a positive attitude is that you are more likely to discover the potential that is all around you.”Roy told the students that love of his family and friends, respect for yourself and others and a positive outlook would help them achieve the goals that they set.”I think that when you meet someone new, it shouldn’t matter wh