A former local hockey player is sharing his story after he broke his neck during a college game in the U.S. last fall.
Jesse Martin who plays with the University of Denver spent weeks recovering in hospital after he was badly injured in late October.
The 22-year-old former Spruce Grove Saint and member of the St. Francis Xavier High School hockey academy was playing against the University of North Dakota when he was body-checked.
Martin suffered three fractures of his C2 vertebrae. The six-foot-two player took the hit hard and was knocked unconscious. He initially did not have any feelings in his arms or legs.
The young man has undergone surgery to put a screw into his vertebrae.
Martin was a featured speaker Thursday at an event held at the Morgridge College of Education on the DU campus.
The young man talked about his life-changing experience in front of a crowd of nearly 200 people.
"When I was laying on the ice for that 20 seconds with no one around, it felt like I could go through everything that was important to me and hockey never once came into my mind."
"So I didn't even for one second feel sorry for myself because I felt like I was the luckiest guy in the world," Martin said.
Martin said this experience has taught him to appreciate life.
"I didn't look at it like hockey was taken from me -- the way I looked at it was my life was given to me."
Martin revealed he isn't sure yet if he'll ever play hockey again.
The young man is back in school for the winter quarter and is expected to earn his degree by this summer.
