Unstoppable Tracy lived up to her name on Friday, March 29, 2019.
Tracy Schmitt is a four-way amputee and there is absolutely no stopping her – and that’s just the way she likes it.
Schmitt is based out of Toronto and is the winner of the 2017 Robert W. Jackson Award [Founder of the Canadian Paralympics], 2017 Ontario Premier Awards, 2017 C-SASIL Lifetime Achievement Award and 2018 Women of Essence Global Award Nominee and as seen on CBC, City TV, Global News, NBC, FOX and globally around the world!
Oprah Magazine has shared her story as Quest for the Gold World Cup Sailor, she’s climbed Himalayan mountains, captained 110-foot-tall ship, won para-skiing bronze, repelled down a 25-story building and scuba dives just to name a few things.
Unstoppable Tracy was the guest speaker at a monthly meeting of Northumberland County Fire Departments on Thursday night in Bewdley.
The firefighters were so thrilled at the motivational speaker they invited her back on Friday to give it a go at training to be a firefighter at the Baltimore Firehall.
“As always, Tracy wanted a challenge so we asked her dress in full firefighter gear and go through our entanglement tunnel that we used to train firefighters,” said District Chief of Hamilton Township Fire Department Mike Robinson.
Schmitt not only went through the tunnel once, but did it a second time just for good measure.
“She did excellent,” said Robinson.
“Probably the part that I’m most impressed with is her breathing. Good, meticulous, slow, controlled breathes. It something that we struggle with in the fire service to teach firefighters.”
“If we put her on a time trial, she was every bit as quick going through the entanglement tunnel as most of our firefighters.”
Robinson said firefighters were very impressed with Schmitt’s speech the previous evening.
“For us, it’s the “no excuses” part.”
“We’re all going to have bad days, we work in a tough industry, but I think what Tracy really does is ask you to challenge yourself and not create any excuses and find a way to get it done.”
“Sometimes those ways are un-traditional, but in the fire service that’s something we have to do on a day to day business.”
Also in attendance at the Baltimore Firehall were four girls aged 12 to 19 from a local group home.
Watching Schmitt speak one-on-one with the girls, it was clear they were very impressed. Some were even brought to tears with emotion.
“I think everyday we are presented with things we think we can’t do, or we are presented with a challenge that we think we can’t do, but this just takes it to a whole new level,” said Child Youth Worker Beth Cummings.
“She was an amazing inspiration to the young ladies.”
“Just to see the challenges that Tracy might be presented with and seeing her have no hesitation in overcoming them is an inspiration.”
After meeting and exceeding the challenges at the Baltimore Firehall, Schmitt rode in a firetruck to the Cobourg Firehall for a lift – a 100 foot lift that is in Cobourg’s aerial firetruck.
“It was mind blowing,” Schmitt said after the day was over.
“The firefighters are massive difference makers and they invited people from the community and others to join us so we could get everyone feeling like anything’s possible. Even if you don’t know how, you figure it out.”
The message of the day Schmitt always reiterates, “if I can do it, you can do it – no excuses.”
“It’s a little bit of tough love. But if we live in our excuse, then we are limited. So when we have no excuses, we have no limits.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
