This is the story of Kevin Frost.  Simply put, Kevin has lost most of his hearing and eyesight...and yet he doesn't let that get in the way of his love for speedskating.  We had a chance to ask him a few questions, here are his answers.  If you're ever feeling down about your skating...come back to this article.

Bont - First, a brief history on your disorder...

KF - I was diagnosed with Usher's Syndrome Type 2 on March 7/01. What I can hear varies day to day.  I just had a hearing test and it's down 10% from 2001. Oh well life keeps going on!

Bont - We read this: "Usher Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive hearing and vision loss (there is more than one type of Usher Syndrome; for more information, please visit the links page).  *In Kevin's case, he has tunnel vision (only 10% of normal visual range) and a sound has to register about 85 decibels for him to hear it."  Please give us an example of something that's 85 decibels loud...or approximately that loud.

KF - What do I hear?  When you lose your hearing you create new senses, like vibrations. So I can hear a motorbike, airplane, lawnmower and sometimes telephones, (it) depends on the ringer.  And the starter gun for speed skating that's a good start!  Everyday is different that's why I live one day at a time. I have to think think this way or I would go bonkers. Live everyday to the fullest because it may get worst and I'll deal with it if it does! Life is to short to worry about little things.

Bont - You state that your disorder has left you with tunnel vision, "like looking through a hole the diameter of two pencils".  How does this affect your ability to go around the blocks?

KF - Going around the blocks - well I just close my eyes and pray!!!  Ha Ha!  Being on the ice all my life it's in my blood! Just like anything in life just getting used to it and practicing it will get easier. Every time I go around the blocks I count my strides and can, with very limited central vision, see the black blocks for a brief second but when I get closer to the corners I have to count, because they're out of my peripheral vision.

Bont - Have you or anyone else thought of something to replace the blocks, but which may aid you in knowing where they are?

KF - It would help a lot if the blocks where bright orange. So I'm looking into buying some blocks and painting them bright orange. Just don't want to break rules! Being a former official for 25 years in hockey. Did I say referee? What do you mean? Refs are blind anyway, like my eye doctor told me so he said you should continue! So when a player say " Are you blind?"  Well a matter a fact I am! Ha! Ha!

Bont - You state that this is a degenerative disorder, and short track races are normally started with a blank gunshot.  Will this be something that you'll have to work out also, should you lose all of your hearing?

KF - The starting gun in my races like I said earlier yes I can hear because it's about 95 to 100 decibels. Again I have good sense of vibrations. Also when the starter says "ready," usually I read peoples lips to get by in a conversation, because we are so focused on the starts. The starter waves their hand to the ice for to indicate me that it means ready. Also, for last lap I can't hear the bell or see it. Every meet I've gone to they have been using a flag on a long stick to let me know that it's last lap!  So my coach just went and got a bright orange flag and long stick from a safety shop in Ottawa, and when they ask what it was for they said " What ever you need, take it for Kevin."  They said will cheer Kevin on all the way.

Bont - I know that securing financial sponsors is always difficult.  Tell us some of the monetary burdens you have because of the disorder, that we would not otherwise realize.

KF - The community has being very supported in every way!  Well, securing financial sponsors is tough these days. I do have some great local sponsors who are helping on my way! It's a good start in the right direction. What made it better when Sara Bont saw what I was trying to accomplish!  It was nice to see a company like Bont look at what I'm trying to do and help me out on what they do best is speed skating!  Thanks SARA!!!  (I was) Once was a workaholic myself, working 60 to 80 hours a week!   Life came to a sudden stop when I went deafblind.  Taking your drivers license away (and my job) for liability reasons was a shock!  So, being very thankful I'm on a fix income with 60% of my working wages, life has being a major adjustment. Having a mortgage, bills and three children 8, 6, 3 and a beautiful wife it's been tough.  So taking up a new life all over again has being a major adjustment in everyway!  Getting sponsors helps you achieve your dreams, (but) it's not easy.  As you remember in the Athens 2004, the Canadians didn't have enough funds to fly their coaches to the Olympics!  This show you why I have no choice to go and get sponsors to achieve my dreams.

Bont - In what other sports do you participate?

KF - I also do dragon Boating with a blind team called "Dragon Eye's". Dragon Boating consists of 20 paddlers. Dragon eye's has 12 blind paddlers and eight regular bodies on board. It's fun to be in the boat because everyone has the same feeling on the water. Last year we finished 24th out of 190 teams. We were the only blind team at that event.

Bont - What is with the "magnetized" insoles of your skates?

KF - Being deafblind one of my biggest hurdles in speed skating is BALANCE! My inner ear balance is off because of my condition. So to overcome this I try new things to improve my balance. So the insoles, wobble board, balancing on the ball and yoga lessons are some of the thing I'm trying. Are theses thing working little by little my balance is improving. It help a lot to have perfect balance in speed skating. I tell the people to find out what I deal with everyday close you eyes and plug your ears and walk , skate or balance on a ball.

Bont - What, if anything else, do you do to train for short track skating that others don't do?

KF - Do I do other training for speed skating? I have a personal fitness trainer Dan Guay who speed skated for 10 years and exercise physiologist Mathieu Larose from PeakCentre For Human Performance who also is a sponsor. They four times a year do a threshhold V0-2 max test to help become a stronger (and smarter) skater. I also do yoga classes to help me with focus and breathing.

Bont - Any words of wisdom for those reading this article?

KF - Always have a positive attitude in life, always be polite, put your best foot forward everyday and live everyday to the fullest because you never know when something will happen!  I've been there!  Everything in life happens for a reason! 

In the picture it's Nemo, my guide dog (3.5 years old), and Ivanie Blondin in my eye's the next Canadian World Champion! 

* See Kevin's webpage at: http://www.deafblindspeedskater.com