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Sports A True Ironman Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com 23 | Thursday, September 12, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Buren first Canadian paraplegic to complete grueling race by Jon Kuiperij Beaver Sports Editor Rob Buren says he has always preferred to focus on the brighter side of things. The Oakville resident's positive outlook on life underwent the ultimate litmus test five years ago. Cycling on a trail north of Dundas Street and west of Tremaine Road the morning of Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008, Buren, then 37, jumped his bike off a one-metre high makeshift ramp, flew over the handlebars and landed directly on his head. Buren's spine broke in half and slid over itself, leaving him completely paralyzed from the navel down. The incident seemed to be a cruel denouement to Buren's active lifestyle. He had practically grown up on a bicycle, used to race motorcycles, had a need for speed. He was also busy and successful professionally, having recently won an award as a marketing consultant for Microsoft, with visions of his career taking him around the world. "I do sometimes look back and think how life would have been different if I didn't have my injury," Buren admits. "But I know there isn't an answer. This has happened to me. I don't think it happened to me because I needed to be tested in some way. Me and my friends all lived active lifestyles... It was just that my number came up. "That's in the past. What am I going to do about it?" Handcycle became part of Buren's identity That was the burning question five years ago as well, and Buren wasted little time in coming up with an answer. Four weeks after his accident, Buren had already freed himself from his wheelchair. He made his way around the hospital on a handcycle, a three-wheeled vehicle propelled by the arms instead of the legs. "It brought me to tears," Buren remembers. "I was powering myself again." The handcycle, in Buren's words, has since become part of his identity. He's even used it to exceed the speed limit on most highways, zooming down a hill on nearby Bell School Line. "That thrill, going 83 kilometres an hour with the wheel right beside your head, four inches off the ground," he says. "It's the feeling that, yeah, I'm alive. I live for that." The handcycle has also allowed Buren to remain incredibly active, which serves as a therapy for the neuropathic pain below the waist that he still regularly suffers from. Just a few months after his injury, Buren completed the Ride to Conquer Cancer, a 200-kilometre cycle from Toronto to Niagara Falls. Since, he has competed in several triathlons, the New York City Marathon and a pair of half-Ironman Triathlon events in Welland. And last month in Louisville, Ky., Buren became the first Canadian with paraplegia to compete a full Ironman, finishing second among four competitors in the physicallychallenged division. Wearing a custom-made wetsuit that keeps his legs together and on top of the water, Buren completed the 3.86-km swim in second place. During the 180-km bike, Buren chose to pace himself and save energy for the 42.2km wheelchair. He was passed by another competitor a third of the way through the bike, then fell into last place 30 km later. Rather than trying to immediately chase his competitors down, Buren stuck with his race plan. He began the wheelchair portion in fourth but wound up passing both athletes that had overtaken him during the bike, finishing the race in second place with a time of 12:32:54. Buren was pleased with both his time and his placing, but took even more satisfaction in the reaction he received from fellow Ironman competitors as well as spectators at the Rob Buren pumps his fist as he completes an Ironman race last month in Louisville, Ky. The 42-year-old Oakville resident, who broke his back five years ago after a mountain biking accident, is the first Canadian with paraplegia to complete a full Ironman. | photo submitted event. "I'm told by people passing me on bikes, `That's so inspiring' or `You made me cry' or `You made my kids cry' or `I want to do it now'," says Buren, whose wife, Sabrina Haque, also completed the Ironman race. "That just fuels my fire. Not to ring my own bell, but how awesome. If I can inspire someone to get out and use their body, that is so rewarding. "I hear people complain about their bad knees, or about the elevator taking too long. Seriously, I'd like to take the stairs. I'd love to park in the far end of the parking lot and walk. I think people see me working so hard, and they gravitate to that. That's just a great feeling." Buren wonders how much more he can accomplish athletically. He is torn when it comes to what to try next. He could try another Ironman, push himself more and try to earn a spot in the Ironman world champion- ships in Kona, Hawaii. Part of him is tempted to attempt to qualify for a future Paralympic Games, but he is detered by the "stupidly short" distances (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) and the travel demands that would be involved. After all, he reasons, one of the few positives about being on long-term disability is the extra time he is able to spend with his daughters, Chloe and Zara. "I think it's just become a way of living, always looking at the positives," says Buren. "When I was in rehab, I met a lot of guys with quadriplegia. I think about them almost daily and what they can't do and why I need to keep moving forward. I am so lucky I can do what I'm doing. I can hug my kids, I can use my hands, I can power myself, I can drive a car. "I have nothing to complain about. So I have some nerve pain. Whatever. I can suck it up." RBC Insurance stores near you: At Prince Michael Dr. off Dundas St. E. 905-257-8200 At Appleby Line near Dundas St. 905-332-2551 RBC Insurance Family Block Party One day, across Canada, celebrating our communities Join us on September 21, 2013 for a special day of family fun, meet our friendly advisors and mingle with your neighbours at your local RBC Insurance® store. At the Olde Oakville Marketplace 905-815-8121 Insurance advice for your life TM | HOME | AUTO | LIFE | HEALTH | TRAVEL | BUSINESS | RETIREMENT | TM Home, auto and travel insurance is underwritten by RBC General Insurance Company. Life and health insurance is underwritten by RBC Life Insurance Company. ® / TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. As a result of government run auto insurance plans, RBC Insurance does not provide auto insurance in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. VPS84493