By the time Sam Keane was five years old, he was already dealing with the fact his body didn’t work the same as other kids. Keane was diagnosed with triplegia cerebral palsy, causing paralysis in three of his limbs including his legs and left hand.
However, this has never stopped him from doing what he wanted and inspiring the people around him.
Keane, 20, is a second-year student of sports management at Durham College. He is also the assistant equipment manager for the women's hockey team at the University of Institute of Technology, recently rebranded as Ontario Tech University.
Head coach of the women’s hockey team, Justin Caruana, says Keane’s dedication to the team “inspires players and staff to be better people.
“’It’s not about me, it’s about the person next to me. That’s the person Sam is,” says Caruana.
Keane’s work ethic and selfless attitude earned him the first Sase Narayan Unsung Hero Award at Ontario Tech’s athletic banquet last Thursday. Named after an Ontario Tech alumni, the award recognizes a student who has positively impacted a program or organization from behind the scenes.
“I don’t do this for the recognition, but the recognition is very kind,” says Keane.
Caruana says Keane has been inspirational ever since he emailed looking for a job two years ago.
"Sam is such a caring person, I’m thrilled to work with him,” says Caruana. “He always has a smile on his face.”
Caruana’s says his decision was solidified by the testimony of an NHL friend, James Neal, a Whitby native and player for the Calgary Flames. Neal met Keane at the Grandview Children’s Centre in Oshawa where Keane is a member of the youth advisory committee.
“He’s his biggest fan,” Caruana says with a laugh.
While his job isn’t always easy, Keane says he never let his condition get in the way and none of his teammates ever treated him “like he was different."
“Everybody on the team knows not everything is easy for me and they encourage me,” he says. “Some of my success needs to be attributed to the women’s hockey team.”
Keane says it’s also important for people to recognize Sase Narayan and the role he played in inspiring the award.
While attending Ontario Tech, Narayan earned a Bachelor of Information Technology with honours. He also supported the athletic department by filming for the men’s and women’s hockey team, updating online stats, and even helped develop web streaming sites in 2007.
“The athletic department felt that I deserved to be recognized for my contribution to the multiple programs I supported,” says Narayan. “More importantly, however, to recognize individuals who have a love for their teams.”
Narayan will also be making a donation to a team selected by the recipient.
Keane says he hopes children in a similar position don’t feel like they can’t do what they want – because he if can do it, so can they.
“I want for other kids like me who want to do something to figure it out,” says Keane. “Just go for it, don’t give up.”
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