This year marks Thomas Raymond’s first participation in the Défi sportif AlterGo, but that doesn’t mean the athlete ambassador lacks experience in sports or adapted sports.
This year, the Défi sportif AlterGo has joined forces with Blind Hockey Canada to host the first-ever International Blind Ice Hockey Series to be held in Quebec. That’s what brings Thomas Raymond, a rising star in blind hockey, to the event. The athlete sees this important tournament as an opportunity to represent his roots and to prove that Quebec, too, can host major competitions like this one.
Losing sight at 15
It has been seven years since Thomas Raymond started playing blind hockey. But the young athlete has loved hockey all his life. Practically born with ice skates on his feet, he started playing hockey at just three or four years old.
He quickly progressed in the sport. By the age of fifteen, he was playing Midget Espoir with the Noir et Or de la Mortagne in a student-athlete program. That was until his visual impairment suddenly changed everything.
A few days after a body check sent him tumbling to the ice, Thomas started noticing that his vision was becoming blurry. Days, weeks, and months passed, and it only got worse. Doctors couldn’t seem to find the cause of the cloudiness in Thomas’s central vision. He had to stop going to school.
Months later, a genetic test finally revealed the cause. Thomas had Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, a rare genetic disease that leads to the loss of central vision. And it seems likely that his fall on the ice triggered the disease’s development.
A second family
At the Nazareth and Louis-Braille Institute, Thomas learned how to orient himself, use adaptive technologies, and navigate life with his newly blurred central vision. It was also there that he first heard about blind hockey—a variation of the sport he had previously seen in action during the halftime of a hockey game he attended. He wondered if blind hockey could be his way of continuing to play the sport he loved.
It was. Thomas joined Les Hiboux de Montréal, Montreal’s blind hockey club, and started playing. As an experienced hockey player, adapting to this slightly different version of the game was no problem. The only challenge left was fitting into the team—but as it turned out, that wasn’t an issue either. Thomas felt right at home among this welcoming group, where no player considers themselves above the others. The team members share similar experiences and understand one another. With Les Hiboux de Montréal, Thomas has found a second family—one that can turn a bad day into a good one.
None of this would be possible without the support of Thomas’s family. The practices are far from where he and his family live, but he can always count on his parents and his brother for transportation. Beyond that, they support him in his daily life, helping him navigate the challenges that come with his visual impairment.
Moving forward and getting better
Thomas describes himself as persistent; he always wants to move forward and improve. He doesn’t like losing, so he works consistently to better himself and help those around him improve as well. He’s a true team player.
“Making others better, winning together, working together. When you play as a team, it’s not just about me, myself, and a goal, you work together in the same direction. It’s really fun.”
Thomas also enjoys staying active, and that hasn’t changed his disability. He continued practicing with his school team for as long as he could. These days, he plays ball hockey with sighted players and stays fit with cardio workouts. He also plays other sports, most of which are not adapted, and enjoys trying new activities.
He is excited to participate in his first Défi sportif AlterGo as an athlete ambassador, where he’ll showcase his sport while discovering others.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn about lesser-known sports, which is always interesting. It also opens doors. There are sports like blind hockey, but many people don’t know anything about them. I like feeling like I’m part of that—a movement that promotes my sport and others too.”
Blind hockey
Blind hockey is a variation of hockey adapted for players with visual impairments. It is played with a noise-making puck—a steel shell filled with metal balls—that is twice the size and heavier than a regular puck. The rules are similar to traditional hockey, with a few exceptions. In 2018, Blind Hockey Canada formed its first national team, and Thomas Raymond is a member of the team.
To learn more : Everything you need to know about blind hockey and wheelchair curling
Come to cheer on Thomas Raymond and the Canadian National Blind Hockey Team April 25-27 at the Howie-Morenz Arena as they go head-to-head with the USA team for the first time ever in Montreal!
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Friday, April 25 at 4PM
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Saturday, April 26 at 3PM
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Sunday, April 27 at 10AM
