Life can bring on sudden change and times of uncertainty. We have the power to decide how we move forward. When life threw Miriam Hesselbart a curveball, she decided to jump into the world of blind sports and found her way to CNIB Lake Joe.
Miriam had been active her whole life. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she was involved in all kinds of sports. When she married her husband Matt and had three children, who are now all adults, they made fitness a family affair with group walks, bike rides, and hikes. She also loved canoeing, swimming, and even belly dancing! And this was all on top of a busy career in the banking world.
In her early 30s, Miriam noticed a change in her sight. She could see things right in front of her, but nothing off to the side. She had tunnel vision, and over time, the tunnel got smaller and smaller. After visiting eye care professionals, she was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition her father had.
As her sight loss progressed, the physical activities she loved doing with her family became more challenging.
“In the beginning I wasn't really [coping],” shares Miriam. “I was just frustrated. I wasn't really sure what to do with myself.”
But then she discovered the Manitoba Blind Sports Association (MBSA) and gave blind curling a try, encouraging Matt to join her on this new adventure. Over the years, they both continued to curl with MBSA and have taken up even more blind sports such as cross-country skiing, golf, dragon boating and self defence. Matt has become a guide and coach for the curling teams declaring, “it's the most rewarding opportunity that a person can have.” They are busy connecting with younger people who want to get involved in blind sports and working hard to bring more people with sight loss into the blind sport community.
Given their interest in blind sports, Miriam’s brother Tony invited her and Matt to join him and his wife at CNIB Lake Joe on a family vacation. He also has sight loss and lives closer to camp, in Ottawa, Ontario. Miriam and Matt booked their flights for a “short stay” program in September 2023 to see what CNIB Lake Joe was all about. They ended up having a blast and made sure they registered for the Adult Leisure program week in Summer 2024.
Returning to camp again this summer, they had even more fun trying new sports such as water skiing, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, and the new water slide. When asked about special highlights, Miriam reflects on the new friends they made. “We were trying to get to know as many people as we could, and that was a big deal for me,” she shares. Matt agrees adding, “CNIB Lake Joe is a place where you can be yourself, share and learn from one another, feel part of a strong community and experience the serenity of Lake Joe.”
Miriam and Matt’s story emphasizes the value of getting active and getting connected wherever you live. While CNIB Lake Joe is the only camp of its kind in Canada, safe and accessible sport should be available in every community. Local organizations like the MBSA and CNIB Lake Joe complement each other by giving people with sight loss the chance to enjoy sports in ways that are fun and safe while building relationships with teammates, coaches, family and friends.
Experiences like these are hard to come by and, as Miriam says, you’ll want to keep coming back: “As soon as we got on the plane, we were talking about next year.”