Top sports stories of 2007
The year 2007 will be remembered for a lot of great highs
and some sad lows. There was plenty to celebrate and plenty
to reflect on. Athletes, coaches, team officials and clubs
gave Sudbury fans a lot to celebrate.
From rabid city championships to international champions,
Sudbury athletes and teams gave powerful performances all
year long.
The following pages include sports stories that left a big
impact on the community as a whole.
(NOTE: The Sudbury Wolves run to the 2007 OHL Championship
isn't included on this list. Their playoff performance is
included in the Top News Stories of 2007 as the impact from
their thrilling run engulfed the entire city of Greater
Sudbury, affecting everyone positively from hard core fans to
every day people.)
By Scott
Haddow
In 2007, Marc Bastien didn't win any big personal awards or any
league championships. But what he accomplished was bigger and
greater than any championship could offer.
Bastien stepped onto the ice at a hockey rink in March and took
a few laps. The smile on his face became permanent.
Bastien never knew if he would ever be on the ice again
considering what he went through prior to that fateful day in
March 2007.
Back in March 2006, Bastien, then just 14, had major back
surgery to correct a spine disorder known as scoliosis, which
causes the spine to curve in the wrong direction.
Bastien was born with the disorder and doctors first noticed it
when he was eight. At age 13, Bastien's spine was turning into
an S-shape and twisting his ribs.
Bastien played sports all his life, but the disorder didn't
hinder him from competing at high levels. He even made it to
the AAA level in hockey, suiting up for the AAA major pee wee
and minor bantam Sudbury Wolves teams.
He waited seven months before doctors at the Children's
Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa could perform the needed
work.
Doctors performed a spinal fusion on eight vertebrae. They then
inserted two metal rods along his entire spine, which were held
in place by hooks and screws to keep the spine natural. The
metal was then covered with bone fragments from Bastien's own
hip.
In all, the surgery took nine-and-a-half hours.
"I was out for the surgery, so it went by quick for me, but it
was a long day for my parents," said the École Secondaire
Champlain student.
"It had affected my life as my back would give out on me while
I was playing hockey. I didn't know any other way, so I just
played through it. There really wasn't a lot of pain. I'm glad
to have the surgery done...the X-rays are intense."
At first doctors were wary about Bastien going back into
sports. The surgery was a success, but the idea of
rough-and-tumble contact sports made them nervous.
Bastien did a full year of rehabilitation. In his mind, he felt
it was enough and he was ready to resume competing in sports,
if not hockey, then something else.
"It was more of a mental thing for me," said the 16 year old.
"I knew I was fine physically and wanted to go."
Bastien's first real test was when he competed for Champlain at
a big Franco hockey tournament. Doctors had given him the green
light to participate. Bastien was anxious, as he had always
played a grinding and hard-hitting game in hockey. He was
unclear if his body would withstand the punishment of his style
and the rigors of the sport.
"Once I got hit the first few times and nothing happened I knew
I was going to be alright," said the Grade 10 student.
"It felt amazing to do because my parents were still debating
on whether I should be out there. I couldn't see myself not
playing hockey. It was a big decision and moment, but it has
worked in my favour."
Bastien had plenty of help from his older brothers, Yves, who
plays OHL hockey for Peterborough and Sylvain, a national power
tumbler.
Yves and Marc would go skating, while Sylvain would help him
with strength training.
Yves has been impressed with his brother's efforts and
determination.
"He has that die-hard instinct," said Yves. "He wants it so bad
and he'll do anything to realize it. I can relate with my eye
sight problem...and give him advice. People told me I would
never make it in hockey. People have told him to quit because
he was out of hockey for a full year. He's my little brother
and anything I can do to help him, I will do it."
Bastien also got back into high school track and field. In
April, he began running and surprised many onlookers at the
city championships by winning gold in the junior boys'
200-metre run and silver in the 100-metre race.
"It felt great because last year I couldn't run either," said
the Dowling native. "I was hungry and I was proud of myself."
Lynn MacLean, vice principal and a coach at Champlain, says she
can't have enough student athletes such as Bastien.
"This kid is driven and has shown he can persevere through a
lot," said MacLean. "He's only in Grade 10 and he's already on
the executive of the school's athletic association. He's also
very smart...he has an average over 80."
Bastien is a young man bent on achieving his dreams.
"He wants to do his best and his best is never good enough for
him...he always wants more," said Rachel Brazier, a Champlain
teacher and coach. "He's extremely competitive and knows what
he wants to accomplish."
The whole experience has left Bastien with a greater respect
for life in general and himself.
"Before, I took things for granted, but now I know how much
even the little things mean in life...like going swimming,"
said Bastien. "I learned I was stubborn and I have a tough
character...it will help me in the real world."
And the real world better be ready for Bastien. "I'm even more
determined than ever to play hockey," said the athlete.
"Nothing is going to stop me now. After the year off, I will do
whatever it takes to get where I want to go in life."
Bastien is now playing AAA midget hockey for the Nickel City
Sons in Sudbury. He's the leading scorer of the team with 15
goals and 28 points in his first 20 games.
