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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
HUNTLEY ADDIE: Remembering Victor Davis' real heroic achievement
posted by BOFarrell at 19h10
by Huntley Addie
Swimmer Victor Davis (left), with his friend, Montreal Gazette writer Dave Stubbs.
For the past seven days, Greg Davis and a small team of dedicated cyclists have been making their way to Montreal in order to honour Greg’s late brother, Victor, and generate awareness for organ and tissue donation.
Greg Davis calls this the Victor Davis Memorial Ride. It’s a brilliant initiative.
At around 1 p.m. today, Greg will be standing with me, and a few others, on Ste. Anne St. directly in front of Cousineau’s Tavern, the location where Victor Davis was struck by Glenn Crossley’s black Honda Civic 20 years ago.
At that time, we’re going to face some moments that still haunt our dreams.
Nov. 10, 1989, had been a great night. It was one of those nights where everything just seems to fit.
At the time, we were all very young. Vic was 25. I was an immature 22-year-old. Before meeting Victor, my claim to fame was not an Olympic medal or appearance or anything “Olympian.” Rather, I was really good at playing, and people liked to play with me.
In fact, when Victor used to introduce me to his celebrity friends (which happened frequently), I typically just stood there, in awe.
Often, I wondered how I ended up included in this group or that, and introductions would be hilarious.
“Huntley,” Vic would say, “this is Tom (Alex, Sandy, Dave, Mark…) who has (have) won X-many medals; or starred in this movie.”
They’d smile. We’d shake hands awkwardly and then Vic would continue over to me, “And this is my buddy Huntley; he’s really funny!”
Ah, you take what you can get!
We were indeed adults, but most of us played only some of the adult games; games that shirked responsibility and came with the convenience of seeming invincibility.
You could say we were rapt with an arrogance that comes with a youth of privilege. Or, you could just say we were young, fallible and human.
Most of us who live around here can echo this sentiment, and yet, many seem to try and forget they were a part of it. And then struggle with the concept of forgiving those who did it perhaps bigger and better than they.
Our arrogance and invincibility were crushed when Victor’s head stuck concrete 40 feet from the initial impact.
And when Victor died a few days after, my invincibility cloak disappeared. Another part of me awakened, however. The substance in me that had existed somewhere below my hilarious exterior, rose to the surface.
The best and worst thing that ever happened to me was Victor’s death: worst, as I lost my best friend, and best, because of who I have become since.
Today, I will stand beside Greg Davis directly where a brother, a son and a friend, was killed and I will cry for the loss of him once again. It’s been a while, but his brother’s efforts have earned these moments.
Then I’ll say to him: “I know you know that Vic is proud of you, as much as I know he’s been riding your tail this whole way.”
On Sept. 10, just before Greg set out, the mayor of Guelph, Ont., Karen Farbridge, made some remarks from the Victor Davis Pool: “Guelph has always been extremely proud to be the birthplace of Victor Davis.
“When tragedy struck, and Victor was killed at the age of 25, the country mourned the loss of a hero who had died far too young. The remarkable thing was, in death, Victor became a hero again – but for a very different reason.
“Victor’s organs were donated, and his gift impacted five people.
“No matter how many records he broke, no matter how awe-inspiring he was in the pool, it was his organ donation that saved lives and made a difference for so many families.
“Victor’s most generous and heroic act was his decision to donate his organs, and to ensure his family knew about his wishes.
“Most of us will never be able to touch his achievements in the pool. But most of us can become organ donors.”
My card’s been signed for 20 years.
Victor Davis Memorial Ride
Thanks Hunt, for this one. Like you my organ donor "card" has been signed for years. This week I've been telling my kids about Vic and the hero he was in life and death. My eldest was in awe of the fact that Vic's heart went on to last another 17 years in someone else. Wish I'd rode along today and been able to be there when you meet Greg.
RP