Airdronian Ryan Straschnitzki, now 24 years old, has his sites set on a new paralympic sledge hockey dream after receiving groundbreaking spinal surgery in 2019.
“I had an epidural stimulation device implanted,” Straschnitzki explained. “It essentially allows electrical currents to move over my break and move muscles below my spinal cord injury.”
Straschnitzki, who was paralyzed from the chest down in the 2018 Humboldt Broncos crash which took the lives of 16 of his teammates, travelled to Thailand in 2019 to receive the surgery, which has made a notable difference in his quality of life.
“Before, I wasn’t sure if I would ever recover from the injury,” he admitted. “But now that science is advancing, and I am starting to receive results, I am staying more hopeful for the future. It has been monumental the progress I have made, and I am very hopeful for science in the future now.”
Since the surgery and continuing his ongoing physio therapy, Straschnitzki has regained some leg function and has been able to rebuild some muscle mass in his legs. He is also finding everyday physical tasks a bit easier.
While these physical results have been encouraging, Straschnitzki said the biggest impact of his surgery has been on his mental well-being. Straschnitzki feels he is in a good place mentally and acknowledges the truth in the old saying that “time heals all wounds.”
“Over the course of these five years, you do a lot of reflection,” he said. “You learn a lot about yourself, and you start to mature. You start to realize life goes on, and you can’t dwell in the past. You’ve got to continue to move forward.
“I realize now that setbacks, no matter how severe, are going to happen in life. It’s how you approach it afterwards. Regardless of how severe the setback is, there is always a way to bounce back.”
A key for Straschnitzki's healing journey has been setting his sites on goals and dreams he has for himself. He has been playing sledge hockey for almost four years now, and he hopes to continue to elevate his game to potentially crack the Canadian men’s paralympic hockey team in 2026.
“The sport (of hockey) has taught me so much both on and off the ice,” he said. “And me being able to play in a different way is ideal. I am just going to have fun with it and see how far I can go … Dreams set standards, and you always want to reach for greatness. It’s important to have goals and dreams, because without them we would be a little aimless.”
Straschnitzki is putting in a lot of extra work this summer on his hockey with the hopes of being successful in the September tryouts for the 2026 paralympic team.
“It is still a work in progress,” he stated. “I am still working on it, but I am enjoying my time with the sport because I know how fast it can be taken away. Hopefully I can make it for 2026, but if that doesn’t happen I am just going to enjoy it anyways.”
Straschnitzki, who is founder of the Straz Strong Foundation, says he is grateful for the ongoing support of the community, his family and his friends, and says he is trying to live each and every day to the fullest.
“You are still able to breathe,” he explained. “You are still able to achieve your goals … It’s important to realize that we are not here for a long time – so take every day as a blessing and do the most you can.”
To follow Straschnitzki’s ongoing journey of healing and inspiration visit www.strazstrongfoundation.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
