Kevin is leaving on a jet plane to represent Canada at the Impaired Skating Championship in Scotland

Currently, Kevin Frost is on a place heading to Scotland to represent Canada at the Impaired Skating Championship sanctioned by the International Skating Union.

This championship is important since deaf blind speed skating is not recognized as a Paralympic sport. This has been Kevin’s goal since the beginning and by participating in this championship it is a step closer to his dream becoming realized.

Kevin has the rare genetic disorder Usher Syndrome. He has only eight per cent of his vision and progressive hearing loss. His vision is like looking through two straws and a sound has to register about 90 decibels for him to hear it.

Despite his condition, Kevin has had Olympic ambitions every since the first day he started competing seven years ago. He’s made it his ambition to get International Paralympic Committee (IPC) sanction his sport. The IPC has minimum criteria for adoption of a new winter sport, including widespread practice in a minimum of eight countries, and the sport must have a minimum of two world championship competitions. Currently, there is only one world championship in Russia called the Open Blind Cup. Frost has finished first place in both 2010 and 2011. Scotland will be the second.

On Wednesday, May 2nd a promotion at Topper’s Pizza was held to raise funds to send Kevin to Scotland. For every large pizza that was purchased, $4 was donated to help Kevin represent Canada at the Impaired Skating Championship. The community really came together and were able to raise over $300, which means we sold 79 large pizzas!!!

Kevin and his entire team would like to thank the community for showing their support and making this event a success. All of this would not have been possible without your continued support.

Good luck Kevin and bring home some medals!

If you missed the big event last Wednesday, you can catch up on the news by reading the news clips below:

CTV Morning Live

Rogers Daytime TV
http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=4&sid=68&gid=96282

Metro News
http://metronews.ca/news/ottawa/126990/deaf-blind-speed-skater-to-represent-canada-at-impaired-skating-championships-in-scotland/

Orleans Star
http://www.orleansstar.ca/News/Local/2012-05-03/article-2969158/Speeding-off-to-Scotland/1

Fundraiser to send local deaf-blind athlete to Impaired Skating Championship in Scotland

May 2nd Toppers Pizza in Orleans to donate $4 for every large pizza sold to support Kevin Frost as Canada’s representative at international championship race.

Toppers Pizza at 5947 Jeanne D’Arc Blvd. in Orleans is holding a fundraiser on May 2 to support deaf-blind speed skater and two-time world champion, Kevin Frost. Kevin will represent Canada at the Impaired Skating Championship, sanctioned by Scotland’s National Ice Skating Association at the end of May.

Kevin has been on a journey to become the first Paralympic speed skater at the Russia games in 2014 for the past seven years. On May 17, Kevin will travel to Scotland to compete at the Impaired Skating Championship sanctioned by the National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain. This will be an opportunity for Kevin to compete with other athletes like himself. For those who are not aware, speed skating is not recognized as a sport in the Paralympic games. The Canadian Paralympic Committee will not consider speed skating a Paralympic sport until a minimum of eight countries adopt the sport and hold a minimum of two world championships. The competition in Scotland is a perfect platform to raise awareness of deaf-blind speed skating. This is an important event since it is one step closer to deaf-blind speed-skating being recognized as a sport in the Paralympics.

If you would like further information on the advancement of Paralympic speed skating, please read this article on SportsOttawa.com.

BIG NEWS… One step closer to my goal

As you all know, to my knowledge, I am the only Canadian deaf-blind speed skater. Yes, I feel unique and special, but I still feel like a one-man team trying to change an empire.

Speed skating is not yet considered a Paralympic Sport, which means I cannot compete at the Paralympic Games.

For now, as you can see on my blog, I compete against able bodied speed skaters, because it is the only place I can compete.

I have held the position of fastest deaf-blind speed skater in the world at the Russia Open Blind Cup for the past two years, but the distinction means little without sanctioning from the International Skating Union, a blessing that the event has not yet had.

The International Paralympic Committee has minimum criteria for adoption of a new winter sport, including widespread practice in a minimum of eight countries – that is, they hold sanctioned national championships regularly – and having held a minimum of two world championships, according to Rob Needham, the Executive Director, Sport at the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

But with the help of hard work, determination and a great support from my PR team, coach and community, in May I will be taking one step closer to making a change in Paralympic speed skating.

On May 12 and 13, I will travel to Scotland for a competition organized by Impaired Skating and sanctioned by the National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain. The event that will follow ISU rules also received strong support from the ISU, although it stopped short of endorsing it with its full sanction.

You can read more about this exciting news on SportsOttawa.com.

Also stay tuned for some exciting events that will help raise awareness and funds to get deaf-blind speed skaters another step closer to being recognized!

Paralympic inclusion closer for deaf-blind speed skater

I was featured in an article on SportsOttawa.ca. Ian Ewing wrote a great article about the major advancement in Paralympic speed skating.

You can read the full article on SportsOttawa.ca.

Thanks guys!

News from Russia

To all my friends and supporters:

Things are going well here in Russia. I have done a few training sessions to prepare myself for the Russia Open Blind Cup. So far, the ice conditions have been great for training and I have also enjoyed some good off-ice training.

Yesterday I was invited to a blind school to do a presentation. It went very well. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) gave me five walking white canes for children in Russia suffering from a vision impairment. Five lucky children had the opportunity to use a cane for the first time in their life. Their facial expression of joy and happiness was priceless.

I enjoyed talking to this amazing group. I also enjoyed listening to my speach in a nother language as translators translated my every word in Russian. I hope I have given all these young children a new dream to strive for the very best in life. It was a very touching experience.

Among the site seeing I managed to make a new friend, a very fluffy friend, his name is Canada. Canada is a cat that meets me every time I go to the front office at my hotel.

Thank you to all who have supported my to come to Russia, especially my new sponsor KTL Group.

Until the next update!

A rewarding feeling

This month has been full of hard work with rewarding outcomes. I went to Boston to partake in the Indoor World Rowing Championships, called C.R.A.S.H B. Last year, I finished second in the World. This year, I was even closer to a first place victory, but came 10 seconds short. However, I am still pleased to say I won second place with .001 hundredths away from first place. Next year, I will have to train just a little harder and hopefully I can come back with a bigger victory. Needless to say, It was a lot of fun and I met many wonderful Paralympic rowers.

From February 22 to 26, I attended the 20^th Master Worlds Championships in Calgary against able-bodied skaters. I managed to pull off a new personal best record in all my race distances. Going in to the competition I was ranked 18^th in the World. Today, I am now ranked 10^th in the World. I was very satisfied with my performance. I also set a 5000m Parlalympic record of 8:19:00. That is the magic number that I plan on beating at the Open Blind Cup in Russia from April 12 to 16, 2011.

Wish me all luck while I will continue to train hard for the Open Blind Cup in Russia in April.

And I hope to have some great news for Marie Carmen next month.

KF

“High and Tough Changes but keep training hard”

The Frost Fest concert was a hit. I have to thank Andrew Machwen, Rob Jenson and Mike Murphy for all their hard work. Also, thanks to all the sponsors who donated their items to make this event such a great success.

I had a great speed skating meet in Lake Placid in January. I won a gold medal. You can read all about my Gold medal win in a release written by Kristine Simpson. I also won a bronze medal at the International Canadian Championships in Halifax against able-bodied skaters. You can read more about my Bronze medal win too in a release written by Kristine Simpson.

Now I am training mentally and physically for the World Cup at the end of February. Apart from a slight back injury and with the help of my sport trainers and chiropractor, I am back and ready to make waves happen.

I also was invited to the World Indoor Rowing Championships in Boston. More updates to come.

I have been training hard and it is paying off. It is hard sometimes mentally, but I know I can’t give up. I just recieved the word to attend the Open Blind World Championships in Russia. I hope to defend my title.

Marie Carmen, our little angle in Cancun will be getting her hearing aids as soon at I have enough funds raised. We are 75% there. If you are interested in donating visit my donation page.

My message of the day is: It is important to give; you’ll always get lots in return.

Montreal Regatta, July 2009

I just came back from the Montreal Regatta. We came last in our category, but I learned so much about racing on a windy course. It was so windy most boats ended in different lanes. I know what to expect for next time when I compete under these conditions.

I also was given an award called the Ruth Martin Community Services Award by the Rotary Club International. I felt honoured and touched. I received this award for helping a Cancun boy get hearing aids for the first time. Also, I did a 100km skate on the Ottawa Rideau Canal in Feb. 2009. The purpose was to raise funds for the Rotary Home in Ottawa.

- Kevin