Survivor of Humboldt Bronco crash speaks in Unity

UNITY— Close to 500 students at Unity Composite High School, McLurg High School and Macklin School came together in the UCHS senior gymnasium to listen to former Humboldt Bronco and one half of the winning duo of Amazing Race Canada Season 9, Tyler Smith, Nov. 27. Later in the evening, Smith spoke again at the Unity Community Centre to a crowd of 160, where the public was welcomed to hear him speak.

Aaron Melynk, principal of UCHS, had taught Smith at one time in Leduc, Alta., and had followed his former student’s journey when Smith started playing junior hockey. They had kept in touch over the years through social media and when Melnyk heard about Smith’s presentation, he reached out to various school and community groups in hopes of bringing Smith to do his presentation.

“I brought the idea to our school community council, and they quickly supported the concept and offered to help financially. Ashley Hamilton, the vice chair, suggested reaching out to local businesses. Aviso Wealth and Unity Credit Union enthusiastically got on board. The SADD students in the school also decided to get behind the event as well.

“Tyler and I talked about the best fit and decided that the hockey community might be a good avenue to spread the message beyond the school audience. After pitching it to Unity Minor Hockey, they agreed this would be a positive opportunity. I also got in touch with the UCHS Volleyball Alumni board, who have supported past speakers, and they also increased their support by chipping in for the expense. We are very fortunate to have so many positive and supportive relationship within our communities,” said Melnyk.

Smith was one of the surviving 13 players from the Humboldt Bronco bus crash, which claimed the lives of 16 others on April 6, 2018. He himself sustained many injuries including a punctured lung, six inches of small intestine needing to be removed, two broken ribs, a broken shoulder blade and a broken collarbone that led to severe nerve damage to his left arm. He also suffered a stroke because of the collision. He spent 13 days in the hospital and was unable to attend the funerals of his teammates, coaches and support staff who perished in the crash.

During his presentation, Smith talked about how he thought if he could physically heal from his injuries, everything would be better. But as time went on, Smith’s biggest supporters could see he was struggling.

“My mom would ask me numerous times a day if I was ok, and I would always tell her I was fine. I didn’t know why I survived, there were far more talented guys on the team than me, so why did I live and not them,” said Smith.

He admitted to the crowds he suffered from survivor’s guilt for some time, even to the point where he did not want to celebrate his own birthday. He struggled with understanding how everyone else could continue moving forward after such a tragedy.

“There are families who were grieving, losing people they will never see again. How could the world continue on with life when our worlds just came crashing down?” said Smith in his evening presentation.

Once Smith had physically recovered from his injuries, he was cleared to go back on the ice. He returned to Humboldt to play with the Broncos again, moving back in with Paul and Nancy Jefferson, his billet family. After 10 games, Smith made the decision to quit the Broncos.

“As I said goodbye to my billet mom, she wanted me to promise her that I would go get help. I told her I didn’t need help, I was fine, but she could see I wasn’t. She told me she wanted Ty back. That was the moment I knew I was not fine anymore,” explained Smith.

He returned home to Leduc and started therapy with someone who dealt with traumas, and for the first time in his life, started to understand that emotions and meaningful conversations with those who loved him would help him through this difficult time. His journey of healing is far from over, yet he feels he has made great strides over the years. He realized the importance of healing mental health traumas along with physical and began public speaking.

With his newfound passion and the ability to share his story, Smith and his partner Kat Kastner, became a team for the ninth season of Amazing Race Canada. They proved to be a force to be reckoned with, even amongst some strong, athletic teams. As the duo continued to race, they became a fans favourite.

“During the last day of racing, I had to do some rappelling. With the nerve damage I had in my arm, I reached a point where I was done. Mentally, physically and spiritually, done. Kat though, she reminded me of why we were there. We had 16 angels we were doing this for, and her words gave me the strength I needed to pull through the challenge and ultimately winning the race,” said Smith in his presentation.

He closed both of his presentations by allowing everyone to ask questions.

“You could feel the engagement in the room and many students asked thoughtful questions at the end of the talk. It was nice to see some students come to the evening session and bring their families along with them,” said Melnyk.

Some of those who attended took to social media the next day, talking about how great the speaker was and how he was able to connect with his audience, in both sadness and laughter.