Mike Hamill has trained some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. From actors like Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper, the Tsawwassen fitness guru has helped them achieve their fitness goals.
A few years ago he opened Tsawwassen Springs Fitness with the idea of bringing high-level fitness training for men and women to the community with a full spectrum of health and medical resources to support that training. The venture has been highly successful and he has been able to share his passion to help others.
But on June 25, Hamill’s fitness dreams were shattered following a freak boating accident.
Coming back with friends from a successful guided fishing tour in Haida Gwaii, the vessel was a mere five minutes from reaching its final destination when out of nowhere a humpback whale breached right in the boat’s path.
“All of a sudden I hit Moby Dick. I flipped up in the air and landed on the console of the boat,” the 61-year-old Hamill recalled this week. “I’m lucky to be alive. I was just inches from going into the water and that would have been the end.”
With serious injuries, including a broken back in three places and a crushed spinal cord, Hamill was flown to Prince Rupert and then onto Vancouver General Hospital where he underwent an 11-hour surgery.
He was rendered a paraplegic as a result of the accident.
“I have the use of my arms, but I have no feeling from my chest down. It’s now getting used to my new life in a wheelchair,” he said.
He spent five weeks in VGH’s intensive care unit and another five weeks in its acute short-term stabilization program before he was admitted to G.F. Strong, the province’s largest rehab hospital.
Doctors estimate he will be at G.F. Strong until at least November.
“My days are now spent learning new life skills in a chair. It’s pretty scary. I have been very heavily involved in fitness, weightlifting, training, especially martial arts, so overnight my whole life changed,” he said. “I battled cancer for two years and finally got through that in November. I thought, well, I hope it’s all over and then this happens.”
Hamill admits he has had some dark moments about what will happen in the future.
“I don’t really know, but there is only one way I can think and that is be the best I can be in the chair. What other options do you have? You take the other route and you have a terrible life. I would rather keep smiling, laughing and doing good things for other people,” he said.
Through the love and support of family, friends and co-workers, Hamill has found the inspiration to keep moving forward.
One special connection he has is with Rick Hansen.
“I’ve done some major charities with Rick for a long time. I remember looking down at his chair one day and now 30 years later he is at my bedside supporting me,” Hamill said. “He’s been a tremendous help. He was just here and spent a few hours with me. He said it’s not over Mike, you can do all these great things, so that was very supportive.”
Hamill said besides his recovery his focus is now building his fitness club in ways of rehabilitation for others in wheelchairs.
“The only thing I can do is move forward and how can I be the best I can be in this wheelchair,” he said. “I want to keep inspiring and keep pushing forward.”
