Kevin Frost discussing his Dumfries win on CTV Morning Live

Deaf-blind speed skater Kevin Frost sat down with CTV Morning Live to discuss his recent win at the 2013 Dumfries competition in Scotland.

With special thanks to his sponsors, team and the Impaired Speed Skating Association of Canada (ISSAC), he continues to demonstrate that despite impairment, speed skaters can skate and compete internationally.

“This is why I do what I do” — Kevin Frost

Kevin received a beautiful letter of support from a supporter and fan.

This is why we do what we do…

Hello Kevin,

You’re my latest friend Kevin. I was so inspired by what you can do that I have made the decision to strap the skates back on and get back at it. I stopped a year ago and have since faded into flab. When I was in Ottawa over Family Day weekend I borrowed skates to check out Brewer Park. I went around twice and was toast. My profession is a sandpaper salesman who spends most of his day on his but driving. I picked a desk kind of job many years ago because of bad legs. When I was 21 in 1984 I was hit by a car on a motor bike. I have not been able to run since. As a kid I played hockey and lacrosse and played these sports at a very high level until the age of 15. In those days it was full contact all the time and I was just not big enough so I stopped.

I let you know that I stopped because of various leg and knees issues. I have arthritis is my right knee from a complete ACL snap as well as 4 different scopes prior to that.

It just so happened that today was the day for my yearly visit to the Fowler Kennedy clinic in London to have my annual check up. My ACL was rebuilt with a ham string way back in 2002.

Every year prior to this I basically go in and tell them that all is fine and no you don’t need to do surgery.

Today was different (Thanks Kevin). I went in and told them that things are not fine and I want you to get me back on skates!!!!! This year I have a new doctor and his name is Dr. Get Good!!! I am not kidding about that. Once I saw his name I knew this is my day to see what they can do for me. The Fowler Clinic is in fact the leading sport med center in Canada for my condition. Olympic Athletes are in and out of here all the time.

My 1 hour visit turned in to 3, fine by me. I was given complimentary cortisone shot in my knee that could clean me up for as long as 6 months. They also took some extra x rays. I am to visit them again in 3 months for a follow up and not 1 year. I also have the brace clinic and I am going to get one!

I am so looking forward to skating again and in line skates are on the list!!!

Please also remember that you can call on me for anything!

I look forward to seeing you again someday.

Jack Frost no match for Kevin Frost

This article was published in the Orlean’s Star about Kevin’s achievements at the Winterlude Triathlon in Ottawa.

 Deaf-blind skater, Kevin Frost, participates in the 30th edition of the Winterlude Triatholon. (Photo: Provided)

Deaf-blind skater, Kevin Frost, participates in the 30th edition of the Winterlude Triatholon. (Photo: Provided)

Published on February 21, 2013

By Kate Lalumiere

On Feb. 2, Orléans resident, Kevin Frost, competed in the 30th edition of the Winterlude Triatholon, despite poor weather conditions and extremely cold temperatures.

“You always have to deal with the unexpected,” said Frost. “I understood that because of the bad weather, the triathlon would be more challenging.”

The triathlon is a unique event as it consists of an 8 km skate on the Rideau Canal, followed by a 6 km ski and finally a 5 km run along Queen Elizabeth Dr.   Frost’s relay team was affectionately titled “Nemo’s Nordic Racers” in memory of Frost’s guide dog. The team consisted of deaf and blind speed skater, Frost, who performed the 8 km skate on the Rideau Canal. Fellow blind athlete, Leona Emberson, completed the ski portion and the run was completed by sighted runner, Sean Maddox. Frost and Emberson’s guides were also on hand to help the team along.

The race, organized by Zone 3 Sports and race director Rick Hellard, was subject to some last minute changes due to unforeseen weather conditions. The order of the triathlon ended up being a skate, run, ski.

The race started at 8 a.m. sharp, but due to poor ice conditions, Hellard decided to give Frost a one minute head start. Frost was in the lead at the turnaround point and he finished the skate in 19:37.

“We started with the skate and it was a very tough because the ice was nasty. Every stride we were hitting cracks and uneven bumps,” explained Frost of his first ever experience in the Winterlude Triathlon.  Frost, who is more familiar with indoor rink skating, fell twice during the race. “But I got back up and kept racing. Many able bodied skaters were falling down too.”

By the time Maddox finished the run, it was quite snowy and very cold, which made for a tough ski for Leona and her guide Bill.

“The end result was that we finished the race and I was very touched because I was the first deaf blind skater ever to do this event. I just wanted all blind, deaf and disabled people to try something new, to expand their experiences.”

This season, in speed skating, Frost has won two silver and two bronze medals against able-bodied skaters. Kevin is now preparing to compete in the World Blind Long and Short track Championships in Russia and Scotland.  “I hope to defend my titles for both events and hopefully break my world records.”

Kevin places fourth place at largest indoor rowing championship in Boston

photo (1)This past weekend Kevin was in Boston to participate in C.R.A.S.H.- B., the biggest indoor rowing championship in the world. C.R.A.S.H.-B. began in the late 1970s and was comprised of Olympic and World Team athletes who loved rowing.

Some of you may be wondering how it is possible that they are having an indoor rowing competition? C.R.A.S.H.-B. is not happening in an indoor pool, but they are using a Concept2 Model A ergometer, which is a stationary rowing device. The other great thing about this event is that it does not discriminate, there are categories that touch on every demographic. They have categories for men, women, young, old(there was a rower that was 95 years old!), able bodied and people who are visually, physically, intellectually disabled.

Kevin participated in the Men’s visually impaired category and placed a strong fourth place. He continues to make Ottawa proud. His next stop is Waterloo for the K-W Sertoma Speed Skating Club Provincial A Championships. Best of luck Kevin!

From Paralympics to Olympics – Living the dream


As we all shake off the excitement of the Olympics in London and steadily get back in to our every day lives, the majority of us forget that the excitement of watching athletes from around the world obtain new heights and attain life goals and dreams start all over again on August 29th with the Paralympics.

One such athlete that will competing at the Paralympics is Oscar Pistorius.

Here is his story.

Cheered by a crowd of 80 000 people, Oscar Pistorius, of South Africa, realized a dream as he carried the flag for his nation during the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympic Games. He had come a long way.

Pistorius was born without his fibulas. Before his first birthday, both his lower legs had been amputated. The 26 year old has only known life with prosthetics, which hasn’t stopped him from dreaming. After taking on many sports, including wrestling, water polo and tennis, he started running in 2003, following a serious rugby injury. Since then, he has never looked back.

Nicknamed the “Blade Runner”, his first participation in the Paralympics was in 2004, in Athens, where he finished 3rd overall in his category. In 2007, Pistorius took part in his first international competition with able-bodied athletes, and finished second. Fearing that technical devices could advantage the runner, the IAAF consequently amended its rules and banned the use of such devices in able-bodied competitions. Pistorius and his manager appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and because of the lack of scientific proof, the decision was reversed in 2008.

Although his South African relay team did not win a medal in London, Pistorius’ Olympic story inspired millions. He will be back in the Olympic Stadium shortly, this time as a Paralympic inspiration, from August 29th to September 9th. He is a gold medal prediction for the 100m, 200m, 400m, and the 4X400m relay. If he wins all of his events, Pistorius will come home with more Olympic gold medals than Usain Bolt.

“For me, I’ve always done what I do because I love training, and I love being the best that I can be,” says Oscar Pistorius.

Eat Pizza and support your local athlete

Join the Frosty team on July 16th, 2012 at Boston Pizza in Orleans to donate 10% of receipt sales to support Kevin Frost

Boston Pizza located at 3884 Innes Road, Orleans, is holding a fundraiser on July 16th, 2012 starting at 5pm to support Orlean’s very own deaf-blind speed skater and two-time world champion, Kevin Frost. The Orlean’s athlete represented Canada at the Impaired Skating Championship, sanctioned by Scotland’s National Ice Skating Association this past May and came home with four gold medals!

Boston Pizza will donate 10% of receipt sales on Monday towards funding Kevin’s training. Kevin Frost will be on site to personally thank his supporters.

We do these fundraisers so that we can give back to the community in which we reside in. Our goal is to help community members reach their goals in whatever they’re doing – whether it be a walk for cancer, to helping a school earn enough funds to get a new smartboard for their classrooms, and to helping local athletes, like we’re doing for Kevin. 10% of the receipts from your Guests that come in on Monday night will be donated back to Kevin to help continue his medal worthy athletics.
Leslie Scott – Community Relations Coordinator

Frost has a rare genetic disorder called Usher Syndrome Type 2. He has only four 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.

Frost has had Olympic ambitions ever 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 two world championships, in Russia called the Open Blind Cup and in Scotland called the Impaired Skating competition.

Resting and recovery are a very vital time of any athlete’s season

March has gone by already. I had a recovery month of resting to get ready for my rowing season. Recovery stage is very important to all elite athletes. This prevents injury and allows fresh muscle to grow in preparation for a new season.

We will be on the water in two weeks. I hope to make the Paralympic team to go to the New Zealand World Cup. If I don’t make the cut I will train for the able-bodied Master World Cup in Canada in August.

This month, I’ve been invited to Cancun to speak at four universities to share with them my mission to help Mexican children who have sensory losses. My goal is to get these Universities to make this mission part of their programs.

Fundraising for Manual has gone so well that we have been able to purchase a new hearing aid for him. This is very exciting! We also have funds left over to help Paulwina and a 7-year-old boy with vision care and operations.
Happy Easter!!!

My words for today: “No pain no gain”

I had my wonderful children for a week of holidays. We went to Toronto, ON. The highlight of the trip was the children put a purple smartie through the cage on the CN Tower upper deck. They were worried that it might hurt someone. The children’s imagination is very interesting on things like this. This holiday was a great time and recovery from my training. I also just had an awesome time with my children at a cottage in Quebec. Another recovery week.

I was just at a speed skating camp for 4 days at the Mont-Ann ski hill. In all my years of training, this was the toughest one ever. My toughest day was the 2km sprint up a nasty, steep hill. I had a awesome guide Grant who helped me navigate. Going up was gruelling but coming down was tough because of my tunnel vision. Actually, I pulled my right knee and have an ITB injury near the Fibular head. I just took some advil and kept on going. We all have to deal with pain, the key is to keep moving.

The latest on the Russian Paralympic event, I have been communicating with the Russian speed skating coach on when the event will be taking place. They have invited me to attend.

In two weeks I will be attending a Adaptive Rowing Camp in Sudbury.