The Adam Jones Show: Travis Roy Motivated Every Single Day By Supporters
BOSTON (CBS) -- Twenty years have passed since Travis Roy's life changed forever. And though it hasn't always been easy, Roy has dedicated his life to making a difference in other people's lives.
And so, the Travis Roy Foundation will hold a night to honor the former BU hockey player and celebrate the work the foundation has done in raising funds and impacting lives.
"I had a lot harder time with in the earlier years, the first two or three or four or five years, and really even 10 years. Quite frankly, I hadn't done much with my life. I realized a goal and a personal dream of mine to play Division-I college hockey, and it ended far too soon, and I knew it was a horrific accident, and of course the video that accompanied it has always been tough to watch," Roy said Thursday night on The Adam Jones Show. "But so I guess what I'm telling you is that 20 years later, it's a little easier to talk about, mainly because I feel like I've done something with my life. And some of the attention that's being placed on the story right now, I feel like it's more deserved, certainly the work of the Travis Roy Foundation and some of the other things I've accomplished."
Though Roy's foundation has done much to positively impact countless people's lives, he said that he hopes he can give proper thanks to everyone who has helped him along the way.
"I kind of want to share some unique stories of how that support has given me the confidence, given me the love for me to do what I do," he said. "Because it is tiring. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of being paralyzed. I wish this was over. But the people that support me and the foundation, they make me want to get up every day to do something, to give back in appreciation of that support. I'm proud of those people, and I want to make them proud of me."
Roy said his initial inspiration to start his foundation came from former actor Christopher Reeve.
"What to led to it initially was Christopher Reeve had been paralyzed less than six months before I was injured, and he was my role model in a little way. He was on a ventilator, which is the absolute worst living condition if you ask me, as far as being a vent-dependent quadriplegic. And I saw what he did, and I saw the time, the energy, the awareness that he tried to create, and I thought I could do that on a smaller scale," Roy said. "And early on, I was well-intended. We did some little things, we gave out a few grants. It was pretty small. I'm not saying we're huge now, but we've raised a million dollars a year the last few years annually. We've built something that is very much affecting lives, and having an impact on the spinal cord community."
WATCH: Travis Roy Honored By Bruins, Signed To One-Day Contract
As for the event, it will feature ESPN's John Buccigross as emcee. Boston mayor Marty Walsh will speak as well, as will Calgary Flames president Brian Burke, who's known Roy since he was a youngster up in Maine learning the game of hockey.
"Brian literally taught me how to pack my hockey bag when I was 5 years old at Maine Mariner camp. And Brian's gone on, he's been the GM of Vancouver, and Anaheim, and Toronto, and now he's at Calgary, a director at the NHL, and then he was the manager of the Olympic team two Olympics ago. He's got an interesting story how he has come into my life pretty much through the last 35 years in some major ways, and he's flying out from Calgary to be there," Roy said.
For more information and tickets to A Night For Travis Roy, visit TravisRoyFoundation.org.
Listen to the entire interview below: