Inline Skating Notebook

Mark DeMontis skating for a cause

by Krista Seggewiss (Jul. 2, 2009)

Woodstock,Ontario,Canada, - Though he may be legally blind, Mark DeMontis will never lose his vision.

Elliot Ferguson photo/Sun MediaMark DeMontis leads Jason Finestone into Woodstock Thursday afternoon. DeMontis, who is legally blind, is rollerblading 5000 kilometres across Canada to raise awareness about hockey for the blind. Sun Media photo Elliot Ferguson/Woodstock Sentinel-Review/02/07/2009

The 22-year-old is inline skating 5,000 kilometres across the country this summer to raise money and awareness for Courage Canada, a non-profit he founded to give visually impaired youth the chance to play blind hockey.

“It's going to be remarkable and it’s going to shape the rest of my life,” said DeMontis, who skated through Woodstock yesterday.

The Quest to the West began five days ago in Weston, Ont., DeMontis' hometown. He plans to arrive in Vancouver on Sept. 12, in time to raise awareness about blind hockey before the Olympics. One day, DeMontis hopes to help make blind hockey a Paralympic Sport. Currently, blind hockey is only played in major centres across Canada.

DeMontis' extraordinary journey began four and half years ago. He was on a golf course in Peterborough when he had a hard time seeing ball and flags. After going to an optometrist, DeMontis was sent to Sick Kids Hospital where he underwent many tests.

The doctors told him he could have a brain tumour, multiple sclerosis or a rare eye condition. After two weeks, DeMontis was diagnosed with Leber's optic neuropathy. He has no central sight and can only see things in the peripheral edges.

“It was when I met life oneonone,” he said. “ You learn that sometimes life is not going to be what you think it is. I learned that at a young age.”

It was a devastating blow to a teenager just one year away from going to the United States to university on a scholarship to play NCAA hockey. DeMontis lost his driver's license because of his eye condition and a contract with the Toronto Young Nationals “AAA” Hockey Club.

In his last year of highschool, DeMontis was the president of student council and finished with a 93 per cent average. He played blind hockey with the Toronto Ice Owls, where he started as centre. DeMontis went on to study media and the public interest at the University of Western Ontario, where he just graduated.

DeMontis found his passion after meeting Chris Delaney, an athlete once with a hopeful CFL career who has the same eye condition. He created Courage Canada and strives to make blind hockey accessible to visually impaired children and youth. Blind hockey has only a few modifications, including a puck with piano keys inside and no body contact.

“It's a smart game and it's fast-paced,” said DeMontis.

DeMontis is also a motivational speaker. He has talked to hundreds of students in Toronto and one day hopes to pursue a career in motivational speaking or journalism.

“I've learned to appreciate the little things,” said DeMontis. “Every day, every stride, every kilometre, I am learning that this is who I am and this is what I stand for.”
Woodstock Sentinel Review: Mark DeMontis skating for a cause

Quest to the West - Laced Up & On The Road, the Journey has begun!

Blind in-line skater a model of courage as he crosses Canada

Posted By Brian Kelly, The Sault Star

Mark DeMontis is game to cross the country.

The blind university student is in-line skating from Toronto to Vancouver to raise money to help other visually impaired youth learn how to play hockey. He's doing it while wearing a red and white hockey jersey, helmet, gloves and carrying a hockey stick.

His dreams of playing in the NHL ended at age 17 when a rare optic condition, Lebers Optic Neuropathy, claimed his sight.

But the University of Western Ontario student is still on the ice as a member of The Ice Owls, a team made up of blind players.
"All I wanted in life was to keep playing the game of hockey," said DeMontis before resuming his westward trek Monday morning.
"It's great to be a part of a team and don't even know I have a disability. I can still play."

The Toronto native founded Courage Canada in 2008. He is raising money to open training camps in three or four large cities starting in 2010.

DeMontis has recruited some pretty impressive corporate teammates. Reebox, Tim Hortons and Eugene Melnyk, the owner of Ottawa Senators, have all chipped in to help Courage Canada.

DeMontis declined to say how much money he's trying to raise or his total collected to date.
"I actually haven't gone public with that yet," he said of his campaign goal.

Chris Delaney, who also lost his sight to Lebers Optic Neuropathy, raised $300,000 for eye research when he rode a bicycle across Canada in 1996. DeMontis considers him his mentor.
"He's taught me a lot about what I'm about to face," he said of the challenging terrain between Wawa and Thunder Bay.

Cross-Canada cyclist Maureen Codispodi took a rest day in the Sault Monday. The Hamilton resident left Victoria on June 1. Her destination is St. John. She wants to raise $10,000 to support Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Codispodi is riding in memory of her aunt, who died of breast cancer in April.
"It's all that energy," she said when asked why she's riding.
"I might as well put it into something good and try to raise some awareness and some money along the way."

Trevor Redmond liked crossing the country so much he's doing it again.

He took 17 months to walk across Canada starting in March 2006.

Redmond is cycling this time to benefit cancer prevention, research and awareness. He was also in the Sault Monday.
The Sault Star: Blind in-line skater a model of courage as he crosses Canada

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Accident slows down fundraising journey

By Jillian Austin (Aug. 23, 2009)

BRANDON - A trek across Canada to raise money for charity came to a halt outside Carberry yesterday after a truck rear-ended the group's trailing RV.

Mark DeMontis' Quest to the West is a three-month inline skating journey from his hometown of Weston, Ont. to Vancouver. He is legally blind, and raising money for the organization he founded last year called Courage Canada -- Hockey for the Blind Inc.

DeMontis said the accident yesterday is just one of the snags that come with taking on such a major feat.

"Going into it you know there's going to be obstacles," DeMontis said. "Everyone's safe... and I'm going to make sure I conquer my goal."

Carberry RCMP Reserve Const. Dave Braham said the accident occurred on the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately five kilometres west of Carberry in the early afternoon.

"It appears that... they were rear-ended going westbound," he said.

A 24-year-old man from Austin, who was driving a Dodge pickup truck, has been charged under the Highway Traffic Act for following the vehicle too closely.

"The driver realized at the last minute that they were going very slow, and just clipped the corner of the RV," Braham said.

The truck was doing the legal speed limit at the time, Braham said, while the RV was travelling at about 20 kilometres per hour.

"It was substantial damage," Braham said. "Both vehicles are drivable, but well over $1,000 damage to each."

This part of the Trans-Canada does not have paved shoulders, which forced the skaters to travel in the driving lane.

"Unfortunately, we do have a lot of gravel shoulders," Braham said. "It does pose a bit of a hazard."

Luckily, no one was injured.

This isn't the first time a cross-country charity journey has been in an accident near Brandon.

A collision near Virden in July 2008 killed two cyclists who were part of the Ride of a Lifetime for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They too were forced to travel on the highway, due to gravel shoulders.

Yesterday's mishap won't stop the Quest to the West crew from continuing on their mission today.

They were to pass through Brandon this afternoon.

The group, moving about 80 kilometres a day, set out from Weston, Ont. on June 27th, and DeMontis said they've been faced with challenges since Day 1.

"We haven't gone two days without rain, it's like there's a cloud following us," he said.

DeMontis, now 22, was diagnosed with a rare condition known as Leber's optic neuropathy and lost his sight.

Throughout his childhood and teenage years, he was an avid hockey player, with dreams of making it to the NCAA hockey level.

Despite the challenges, DeMontis persevered and joined a unique blind hockey team known as The Ice Owls, that travels and raises money for various causes. He also became a passionate motivational speaker.

In 2008, he launched Courage Canada, an organization which seeks to give blind youth across Canada the chance to learn and play hockey.
Winnipeg Free Press: Accident slows down fundraising journey

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Cross-Canada trip on rollerblades helps visually impaired kids

by Rick Madonik (Oct. 20 2009)

Mark DeMontis's cross-Canada journey raises $60,000

Finally, a home-cooked meal and the comfort of his own bed.

Mark DeMontis deserves as much after his accomplishment.

Back in June, he strapped on a pair of rollerblades and headed west.

Mark DeMontis plays shinny hockey with some friends at Weston Arena Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. DeMontis returned from Vancouver Sunday after completing a cross-country trip via roller blades.

Some 5,000 kilometres - and four pairs of blades – later, he reached the finish in Vancouver on Oct. 16. More importantly, he had reached his goal of raising money and awareness for hockey for the visually impaired.

"I guess I was a man on a mission. Now it's mission accomplished," said DeMontis, 22, who became legally blind at 17 after being stricken by Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, a rare optic disorder.

DeMontis traversed through 66 Canadian cities en route to raising $60,000 and awareness for Courage Canada, a not-for-profit foundation he founded last year to help fund Learn-to-Skate programs for visually impaired youth.

He decided to embark on his roller-wheeled quest after gaining inspiration from Chris Delaney, who suffers from the same optic disorder and rode across Canada in 1996 on a two-seater bike.

Delaney's efforts raised $300,000 for eye research.

"I met (Delaney) in 2007 during a tough time in my life," DeMontis said. "I remember one night laying in bed thinking about what he had done. He was a role model for me. I thought why not try and show people that it can be done, that while you may be blind, you can still do it (rollerblade across Canada)."

Despite the good intentions, there were logistical issues to overcome.

Where would he get the sponsorship, the daily support, the organization and even the courage to leave home for more than three months to rollerblade across Canada?

It wasn't easy, beginning with the obvious physical and mental anguish. Even at 22, the trek proved difficult.

DeMontis put in about 70 kilometres each day and would go to bed with blisters, sore knees and wasted muscles.

Then there was the weather.

"When we were going through Ontario, I don't think there were two days when it didn't rain," said DeMontis, who played Triple-A hockey in the GTHL at 17 before he began to lose his eyesight.

Despite the challenges, DeMontis had his believers.

Reebok Hockey stepped up to provide all the equipment needed and Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk came through with an RV, something DeMontis pointed out as central to the entire effort. And more corporate support came from Tim Hortons, the NHL, the Lions Club and Rogers.

There were calls of encouragement from Maple Leaf greats Ron Ellis and Johnny Bower; Walter and Wayne Gretzky showed up along the way for support, as did Trailer Park Boys actors Pat Roach and John Dunsworth, and former NHL defenceman Rick Chartraw threw in his support as well.

And every step of the way, DeMontis also had his buddies there to help him along.

Cameron Williams, a childhood friend, and P.J. Power and Jason Firestone, whom he met at the University of Western Ontario, took turns on the rollerblades to keep DeMontis focused.

"I think the hardest part was just dealing with everything and still trying to maintain your daily goals," DeMontis said. "I'm lucky to have great friends and a great family. But the biggest challenge was the mental one."

DeMontis arrived in Vancouver Oct. 16 with a host of supporters and family cheering wildly as he crossed the finish line, wearing a Team Canada hockey jersey and waving a Canadian flag.

With his journey complete, DeMontis hopes to continue acquiring sponsorships to help create more hockey opportunities for the visually impaired. One idea he is working on is organizing a motivational speaking tour.

Ultimately, he is hoping for the inclusion of hockey for the visually impaired in the Paralympics.
Thestar.com: Cross-Canada trip on rollerblades helps visually impaired kids