Class of '62 Student Enrichment Fund Event
Campus visit by Travis Roy
February 22, 2018 

On February 22, 2018, as part of the Class of '62 Student Enrichment Fund series, Travis Roy was the featured speaker at an All School Meeting in Eppley Auditorium.

Background
Travis is a powerful motivational speaker and a former college ice hockey player for Boston University. On October 20, 1995 -- just eleven seconds into his first-ever shift for Boston University men's ice hockey team -- a 20-year-old Roy slid head-first into the boards, cracking his fourth vertebra and leaving him a quadriplegic. That fateful October night in 1995 signaled the death of one dream -- but also the eventual rebirth of a special kind of hope. Although imprisoned for months in a hospital bed, then confined to a wheelchair, Travis gradually found the grit and the will to reclaim for himself a fulfilling and productive life.

Travis has spoken to various corporations, universities and high schools across the country. He speaks on conquering life's hurdles, setting goals, and his overall experiences in life. He has a unique ability to quickly connect with his audience no matter what profession or age.

Travis and Sports Illustrated writer E.M. Swift wrote his autobiography, Eleven Seconds. His story was also featured on ESPN's E:60 series in an episode titled "Travis Roy, 20 years ago, 11 seconds long." During the 2015 NHL season, the Boston Bruins signed Travis to a one-day contract and had him perform the ceremonial puck drop before a game. On October 20, 2015, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh declared October 20th "Travis Roy Day" to honor Travis, and to recognize the work he has done through "The Travis Roy Foundation". In December 2016, Travis was profiled in People Magazine's "Heroes among Us". In April 2017, Travis was awarded with the "Beacon of Courage and Dedication Award" at the 14th annual "Gathering for a Cure" Gala of the Brain Mapping Foundation.

Travis set up the Travis Roy Foundation to help spinal cord injury survivors and to fund research for a cure. Inspired by Travis' own story, the lifeblood of the Travis Roy Foundation has been the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations across North America. This generosity has made an immediate impact on the lives of many individuals. Since 1997, the Travis Roy Foundation has distributed more than $6 million in individual grants as well as to research projects and rehabilitation institutions across North America. The Travis Roy Foundation is uniquely positioned to touch individual lives with its focus on providing adaptive equipment and sponsoring research.


Campus Visit
Travis arrived at Culver the day before the All School Meeting where he visited the ice rink and watched hockey practice. At the meeting itself the next day, Roy presented his thoughts on how you live, lead, and serve across differences. For more insight to Roy's background and campus visit, see Jan Garrison's Culver News article.

His visit was extraordinarily well received as evidenced by the student comments received and included below.

CLASS OF 1962 STUDENT ENRICHMENT FUND FEEDBACK
Speaker - Travis Roy
February 22, 2018
As compiled by Laura Yeager, Director of Stewardship, Development

"It really moved my heart. It's about a sense of respect that some of us take for granted. The kindness teaches us that we should respect others and hopefully gain that back from others."
--Sebastian '19

"I felt it was very inspiring. He reminded me of my grandfather who passed away last month. He went through the same thing coming home after being in the hospital for so long. It was just inspiring and I want to be like him."
--T.J. '19

"I thought it was really good and really inspirational. It shows the dedication someone can have to pursue their dreams even though they have had an obstacle or a hindrance. I enjoyed it."
--Luke '21

"I thought his presentation was great. He accomplished one of his dreams if only for 11 seconds. Even though he got 11 seconds on the ice and then it was all over, he pushed through the troubles and made something of that. He communicated well with the students that someone is not predestined to do something and that with hard work and dedication anyone can achieve their goals and dreams. Overall, I enjoyed his message and found meaning within it."
--Logan '18

"I personally felt it was good to have someone, especially for this school, that was once in hockey relate to those individuals who are in hockey at the moment and also everyone else. It was very inspiring to hear what he had to say and I'm definitely going to use his lessons to better myself as a person."
--Austin '18

"What he said to us isn't necessarily just for hockey players. No matter what you do, you always have options and no matter how many challenges you are hit with, you can always get past them and do great things with your life." --Nathaniel '19

"I just thought it was really important to see that while we educate ourselves to never get up, that some things are out of our control. Mr. Roy coming here demonstrated how he adapted to an entirely new identity after circumstances which he could not change. Never giving up, always continuing to get back up, not always physically, but also mentally. Anyway, that's what I thought."
--Howard '19

"There is a secret value that Culver indirectly teaches us, and that is Perseverance. Travis Roy perfectly illustrates perseverance in his life and has been able to share this with us. I can say that after seeing him and hearing his story, I feel the steps he has taken to recover and push through the heartbreak in his life. I believe this is a great lesson that everyone at Culver needs to hold dear because it speaks true to all of us, no matter what we do." --Caleb '18

"The main point that stuck out for me was his overall message of positivity and perseverance. He impressed upon me the importance of sticking with it through any type of hard times."
--Lauren '18

"I took away a lot from Travis' presentation, but one of the pieces that hit me the most was his message about truly appreciating not only the people around you but all of the little things in life and not being afraid to express that appreciation or reach out to someone who may be different from you."
--Landon '18

"Very inspiring. It was a very good message for us. I never really thought about goal setting fully, but after his talk, I realize that it is never too early or never too late to set goals. We should also review these goals and make changes when our circumstances change, but goals keep us passionate and engaged."
--Kayleigh '21

"It was really inspirational how he was dealt a situation and he determined that he had a choice in how he would respond to the situation."
--Miah '21

"I was struck by his message about continuously setting goals. He had goals in place and some of them would never be because of a change in his circumstances, but once time went past during his recovery, he established a new set of goals. We can always start something new at whatever point we find ourselves. That is something I took away from his message."
--Matt '20

"His story resonated with a lot of the students here, especially me. I'm an athlete coming from a small town and wanting to do big things."
--Nick '19

"I don't think I have ever been more inspired by a speech at Culver. It was a real pleasure to see his strength in the challenges he faced."
--Jack '19

"I thought it was very inspiring, but emotional, in a good way. It really made me think about how I view things, my perspective on the privilege I have and not to take everything for granted. By privileges, I mean simple privileges, like walking and eating, and even little things."
--Samantha '19

"We play hockey and so it felt especially personal, but it showed how much you can make out of life, especially in such a dire situation. He accomplished his goal of playing D1 hockey, but even after that ended, he has still done so many great things and has had a real impact on society. I think this was the best presentation we have had all year."
--Joey '19 and Drew '19

"I love how he talked about his enjoyment of the little things - the bowl of cereal, for example. It kind of makes you look at your own life and all that you have and really finding joy in all of the little things."
--James '20

"I thought his speech was amazing. I really enjoyed it! But being and athlete myself, it was great to hear about his view on the importance of having a life outside of sports. I have goals to play at a higher level in lacrosse and his story puts into perspective how fast our stories can change, and how we are able to still make the most out of life."
--Austin M '18

"His speech was so engaging. We all really stayed involved and his story was so inspiring."
--Collin '18

"I had seen his ESPN 30 for 30 on his life, so I was familiar with his story. From then I had really looked up to him and it really meant a lot when I learned that Travis Roy was coming to speak to us. It was just really special for me to hear his story from him directly."
--Takis '19

"I didn't think someone's life that wasn't like mine - an athlete - would be impactful. I didn't think he could say something that would impact me. But he made me think about my goals and my future and what I want to do."
--Madeline '20

"I was impressed by what he said about respect and how when you meet a new person, regardless of race, sex or gender, you should give them your respect, give them the benefit of the doubt and go from there."
--Simon '20