Samuel’s journey had a rather complex beginning, being born in Cambodia and abandoned at birth, before his adoptive parents were able to bring him to Canada
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Born with congenital amputations, meaning he has underdeveloped arms and is missing one leg, 19-year-old Samuel Seehawer had the honour of dropping the puck as a shadow referee at the fourth Hockey Marathon for the Kids.
He has participated in each hockey marathon in some way, including the 2022 marathon that set a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest hockey game. The marathon is targeting 262 hours — or nearly 11 straight days — of continuous play this year to break their own record, all in the name of raising funds for cancer research.
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Samuel believes that it’s always important to help people out if you have the ability. He said seeing everyone supporting children in need through the marathon over the years, while raising money, is something he’s enjoyed.
“They’re literally playing 11 days straight. I can just hop on the livestream at any point,” said Samuel. “If I’m in class they’re playing hockey, if I’m driving around they’re playing hockey, if I’m sleeping they’re playing hockey. It’s cool to remember the kind of sacrifices they’re making for the kids.”
He said he was happy to be involved as a shadow referee for the opening game.
“Just to be able to skate along with everybody else was pretty special. Being able to be involved in any kind of way is always nice,” he said. “It’s also pretty fun.”
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From Cambodia to Calgary
Samuel’s journey had a rather complex beginning, having been born in Cambodia and abandoned at birth because people with any kind of abnormality are considered bad karma in some parts of the world, according to Charlotte Seehawer, Samuel’s adoptive mother.
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After spending about a month in hospital, Charlotte said he was transferred to a government orphanage in Cambodia that she happened to be volunteering at.
“When I went into the baby room, I saw the floor littered with all these little ones, and I saw Sam — he was the tiniest — I picked him up,” she said.
“My heart was just being torn apart seeing these children.”
After a month of helping care for children at that orphanage she returned to Calgary, telling her then 18-year-old daughter and husband, Mark, “There’s a baby that needs us.”
Charlotte later returned to Cambodia, and after a lengthy process — involving both the Canadian government as well as Cambodia’s — she was finally able to take Samuel to Canada in 2005.
‘If I see it, and I want to do it, I just try my best at it’
Fast forward to 2024 and now 19-year-old Samuel is attending the University of Calgary in his second year, eyeing a master’s of business in the future. He plays men’s league sports, including hockey, soccer, and football.
He uses a prosthetic leg, but has always declined prosthetic arms, saying he’s not very fond of them.
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“It didn’t really feel natural to be honest … with a leg, you kind of need a leg to walk,” he said. “For arms, I had already to do so many things, and getting another arm would have made me have to relearn everything.”
He’s able to type close to 150 words per minute, which he attributed partially to an affinity for computer games.
“If I see it, and I want to do it, I just try my best at it.”
‘Samuel has always had to prove himself’
One of the biggest challenges Samuel has faced over the years is other people not believing he can do things, said Charlotte.
“Samuel has always had to prove himself, not just be accepted into a sport or into a community activity,” she said.
He became the first ever multiple amputee to ever be accepted to the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps at the age of 12, but Charlotte said he was not allowed to join at first.
After going all the way up the food chain to Ottawa, he was able to join with restrictions such as not being allowed to parachute, work with explosives, or use firearms.
The last one didn’t stop Samuel for very long, according to Charlotte.
“In the summertime, all the cadets from all over the place go to Vernon, and there’s over 3,000 cadets there so they can’t keep an eye on each and every one of them.”
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When it came time for the firing range, Charlotte said Samuel was able to “come home with all bull’s-eyes”, and the firearms restriction was lifted.
“He just had to do things the way he needed to, not the way society thinks it needs to be done — that you have to have ten fingers and ten toes.”
Samuel said he understands that words aren’t always going to be powerful enough to overcome doubts some may have.
“You have to actually prove that you can do it in a way, because sometimes people need to see it to believe it,” he said.
Hockey Marathon for the Kids has been going since puck drop on April 5, and is expected to continue until April 16. To learn more or donate visit hockeymarathon.com
— With files from Scott Strasser and Michael Rodriguez
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