Grab the Key and Unlock the Door
Opportunity doesn’t just come knocking, you have to grab the key and unlock the door. For Scenicview neighbour Kyle Scott, this has been an important motto of his for many years, one that has helped him live a life as big as his dreams, despite the challenges he faces.
Kyle was born with a neurological condition called Cerebral Palsy (CP) which affects his brain, causing mobility, speech, hearing and vision challenges. “Having huge balance issues made walking a challenge,” Kyle shared. “Due to my spasticity, I also have a hard time feeding myself, as well as caring for myself independently,” he added. Although life with CP comes with many challenges, Kyle was determined, even from his earliest days, not to be limited by it, but instead to live his life to the fullest, inspiring others to do the same. Since then, he has become a provincial athlete, an accomplished author, and an architectural technician, proving that with a determined spirit, and a great village of support, you can achieve anything no matter the obstacles.
Throughout his life Kyle has had many incredible influences and supporters who have helped him become the person he is today, including his parents, extended family, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. While in school, he was also fortunate to have some incredible teachers who helped him learn and unlock his full potential. Thanks to their support, assistive technology, and his own hard work and persistence, Kyle made the honour roll four years in a row in highschool, and the Dean’s Honours list in college where he graduated as an architectural technician.
But Kyle’s achievements extended beyond the classroom. Ever since he was little, he found his passion on the sports field where he channeled his competitive spirit into playing parasports like Challenger Baseball and Sledge Hockey. It was even through his experience playing Challenger Baseball that Kyle first started to walk independently, and developed other skills and abilities that he still uses today. Sadly though, when he was a teenager, Kyle was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, forcing him to retire from Challenger Baseball, and eventually Sledge Hockey as well. “This was one of the most devastating times of my life because I lost my independence in walking that I had worked so hard to develop over the years,” Kyle shared.
But despite the setback, Kyle did not lose hope or his passion for sport and ended up learning a new sport years later—Boccia. In 2022, he competed in his first regional qualifying event, finishing third and earning a spot at the Ontario Boccia Championships, where he won silver. And this win was just the beginning. After representing Ontario at the National Canadian Boccia Championships, Kyle competed in many other championship games including the Canadian Nationals where he placed fourth individually and where their team won gold! Today, he has a shot at playing for Team Canada in the Paralympics, an honour and privilege which excites and motivates him everyday. “If I ever become a member of Team Canada, it will be a dream come true and a privilege,” Kyle shared.But Kyle’s achievements extended beyond the classroom. Ever since he was little, he found his passion on the sports field where he channeled his competitive spirit into playing parasports like Challenger Baseball and Sledge Hockey. It was even through his experience playing Challenger Baseball that Kyle first started to walk independently, and developed other skills and abilities that he still uses today. Sadly though, when he was a teenager, Kyle was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, forcing him to retire from Challenger Baseball, and eventually Sledge Hockey as well. “This was one of the most devastating times of my life because I lost my independence in walking that I had worked so hard to develop over the years,” Kyle shared.
But this is not even the greatest accomplishment of all. In 2016, as a way of sharing his story with others, Kyle started writing a memoir. He got the idea from another author living with CP whose memoir he read as a kid. Kyle remembers how this man’s story helped him develop greater confidence and strength, inspiring him to strive for greater things in life, and he wanted to do the same for others. After several years of writing, and re-writing, using just one finger to do all of his typing, Kyle’s book “In A Split Second: Living in the World with Cerebral Palsy” was ready to be published in 2021. And it quickly became a huge success, making it onto the bestseller lists for both Amazon and FriesenPress, and getting screened in libraries, schools and cruise ships around the world! As a result of these efforts, he also became a finalist in the International MO2VATE Awards, won the Editor’s Choice Award for “Disadvantaged Man,” and fulfilled other dreams far beyond his wildest expectations.
As word started getting out about his book, more and more people living with CP started reaching out to Kyle saying they wished they could share their stories like he did. So, Kyle suggested doing a collaborative book with stories from around the world. This book entitled “Living with Cerebral Palsy: A Collection of Inspiring Stories from CP Warriors Worldwide” features stories from twenty-one different people living with CP and has been praised by readers around the world. In this book, readers can find inspiration, education, hope, dreams, tears, and a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. You can pick up your own copy on Amazon, the Indigo in Ancaster, or by visiting Kyle’s website www.kylenscott.ca.
Kyle is incredibly grateful to everyone who helped put the book together, to the other collaborators for sharing their stories, and for all the people who have read his books or shared it with others. “Sharing my truth has been an honour for me, and it gives me great joy to be able to help others in need. It means so much to me to be able to share my story with the world, and I am grateful for the opportunity,” he shared.
