Our local BMO Van Leeuwen branch nominated Tommy as an inspiring customer, and BMO selected him to share his story as they celebrate BMO’s 200th anniversary! Whee!
Watch their film here: https://youtu.be/38c934ejBNM
#BMO200 #AutismMeansFriendship #Whee #FirstFastestRunner #Paralympics #AthleticsCanada
Our family is in Zoom Autism Magazine’s new Issue 11 released today! Whee!
On Page 50 and 51 there’s a story I wrote about how, as parents, we found that following Tommy and his big brother Paul’s lead, and honouring and celebrating their passions and strengths has led to happiness and success in their lives. Included is a photo we love of our family in the prairie of Alberta while we visited Paul and Laura last summer when they were doing their field work researching songbirds! (There are videos on Tommy’s channel of Tommy helping Paul and Laura at work with birds!)
Previously, in Issue 6 on page 11, Tommy and Adel, his Autism Assistance Dog Guide had the honour of being featured in a story in this wonderful online magazine as well!
Thank you so much to Zoom Autism Magazine for including our story in your awesome magazine. We love that it is written for the autism community by the autism community. Its free, so check it out, explore the great stories they share, and please share their link with others!
https://www.joomag.com/magazine/zoom-autism-magazine-issue-11/0899549001490496625?short
Published on Mar 31, 2017
Today, staff at the Bank of Montreal offices in Ottawa, are wearing special t-shirts that say Autism means Friendship. Hear the wonderful story behind this community action from para-athlete Tommy Des Brisay and his mother, MaryAnn.
Tommy’s journey as a Para Athlete has really taken off! Each step of the way, his exciting journey is documented on his YouTube channel.
Here are some recent highlights:
In 2017:
Selected by Athletics Canada as a Paralympic hopeful for Tokyo 2020, in January and February 2017, Tommy trained at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center. He made new amazing friends, trained very hard, and learned many incredibly valuable things on this part of his journey as a T20 para athlete dreaming to race at the World Championships this summer in England, and in Tokyo 2020.
In February 2017, Tommy was awarded Road Racer of the Year at the Ottawa Sports Award Banquet, for the 3rd year in a row.
In April2017, Tommy is attending an altitude training camp at Flagstaff with Athletics Canada, in preparation for Worlds 2017.
In 2016, Tommy:
Ran personal bests in all distances, in both track and road races. Here are his current Personal Bests:
1500m 4:10
3000m 8:57
5000m 15:19
10k 32
Half Marathon 1:10
Marathon 2:38
IN 2016, Tommy ran the standard in T20 1500m and 5000m required to attend the Para World Championships 2017 in London, England. This spring he will race to improve his personal best times, and hopefully be selected to Team Canada to compete in July at Worlds.
In October, 2016, Tommy Des Brisay finished 1st place in the 9 Run Run Half Marathon today with a new personal best of 1:10:38
In September, 2016, Tommy finished 1st Place at the Canada Army Run 2016, with a new personal best of 1:12:24, finishing ahead of 8800 runners!
A really wonderful story about Tommy’s Canada Army Run Half Marathon win was written that day by Canadian Running magazine online. You can read it at this link!
http://runningmagazine.ca/thomas-des-brisday-canada-army-r…/
Tommy had an incredible year in 2016, of amazing personal bests, and ran the standard required for selection for Rio, as well as completing the IPC classification criteria by competing in Italy and Arizona. Although Tommy was eligible for selection to go to Rio, there were many Canadian Para athletes who also met the criteria.
Rio was not meant to be for Tommy, but there are new, exciting opportunities on the horizon for him, especially given the amazing year of new personal bests Tommy ran in 2016!
Tommy had a wonderful trip in early July 2016 to the Canadian National Track and Field Championships and Rio Selection Trials. It was an exciting experience for Tommy on his Road to Rio. As we look back on 2016, we are so proud of all that he has accomplished.
Tommy travelled to Italy in April, 2016, for his first International competition, and to become a classified T20 athlete. Hrepresented Canada proudly in two races- the 1500m and 5000m in Grosseto, Italy. He was so excited and it was wonderful to see how well he handled his very first international races. When his name was announced in Italian, and we heard “Canada….Thomas Des Brisay” it was very emotional indeed. He raced with amazing athletes from many countries around the world. It was such an honour to be here! All of the athletes, organizers, volunteers, coaches, and hosts of this event have been so kind, helpful, and friendly towards Tommy.
In Italy, Tommy successfully completed his first round of classification as a T20 para athlete, bringing him one step closer to being eligible for selection to Rio.
Overall, Tommy was thrilled to be in Italy, made many new friends, and stayed upbeat, accepting the challenges of jetlag and new languages, and all of the many things that an international trip entails.
Thank you so much to all those who helped Tommy and cheered him on! We felt very welcomed and very supported there. Grazie <3
In 2015
Tommy ran the qualifying time for a T20 para athlete to qualify to compete in the 1500m at the Para PanAm games in Toronto, and was selected to Team Canada to compete in August 2015 in Toronto. However, an unfortunate clerical error regarding licensing prevented him from competing. Tommy quickly moved on from this setback, going on to run new personal bests and to run the qualifying time for Rio in 2016. His hard work and great attitude was great to see!
At the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, Tommy Des Brisay had the amazing experience of training with some of the fastest, most dedicated and wonderful runners from all over Canada!
One of his new friends was Sasha Gollish, Canada’s current Women’s Cross Country running champion. Here Facebook page is Sasha Gollish. She is an incredible runner!
Sasha wrote a blog post recently, where she mentions Tommy. Thank you, Sasha, for the joy and friendship, and the mentoring and guidance you gave to Tommy as his running pal in Chula Vista, and for your kind words <3
Here is the link to Sasha's blog entry on her website:
https://sashagollish.wordpress.com/2017/03/06/in-honour-of-love-month/
and here is what she wrote about getting to know Tommy:
"I met Tommy, and his dad Peter, at the Athletics Canada West Hub training camp. Tommy was born with a form of an autism spectrum disorder, and while he cognitively may not be engaged with athletics the way you or I might be, he has a beautiful stride, a beautiful smile, and a zest for life like no other.
With the migraine I suffered in California I was off the training schedule of my usual suspects. Tommy and Peter were kind enough to adapt there training to join me. Even better, Peter video records a lot of Tommy’s sessions and I was able to see what my stride really looks like.
Tommy reminds me to be thankful for what I have, to love life, to love running, to chase after my dreams and never be ashamed of what they might be. Oh, and to laugh! Tommy was a ‘chirper,’ he had all kinds of things to say to us while we were out training that left us laughing so hard we were doubled over."
Thank you, Sasha <3 Big hug oxox
February 26 2017
“On the movie screen, forty feet tall, Owen seems like one in a million. We believe he is one among millions, whose powerful interests are as varied as stars in the sky, and whose potential remains largely untapped. Let’s tap it together.” Ron Suskind, Owen’s dad, in his blog post talking about Owen at the Oscars tonight!
Owen’s story is so very similar to Tommy Des Brisay’s – they both memorized all the lines from every Disney movie, and the movies and characters helped them make sense of the world. Like the Suskind family, we chose to join Tommy and share his joy in quoting the movies and relating to the characters, and it became a wonderful way to communicate with Tommy as his language grew. When Tommy discovered the subtitles and closed captioning on his beloved movies, his language blossomed further, because for Tommy the written word has always supported his speech and comprehension. We are so glad we followed Tommy’s lead always, ignoring the advice from some professionals who insisted we turn off his movies, and instead buying more and encouraging his joy as he discovered and befriended each new story and character!
We love the Suskind’s term “affinities”, and share their philosophy for honouring and encouraging the many varied gifts, talents, and passions of those on the Autism spectrum. Tommy’s lifelong affinity for constant movement and running has become one of his greatest joys and successes! While running, he has always quoted Disney movies, sang Disney songs, imagining himself as Hercules, Aladdin, Dash, and other beloved characters. Singing songs like “One Jump Ahead” from Aladdin, he has light heartedly bounded along race courses, finding great joy in his running successes, always bringing his Disney character friends along for the run in his imagination. The Disney characters are his constant companions in all areas of his life, and Disney movies always provide him just the right language and stories he needs to help communicate his thoughts and feelings in any situation, and help him express himself, and process or cope with the saddest, scariest or happiest moments in his life. Like Owen, Tommy’s affinity for Disney has helped him connect with others- his family, his teachers, his many friends, especially his incredible online community of friends who found his YouTube videos and share his affinity for Disney, as well as his many friends from the Disney parks- fellow guests, cast members and the characters themselves! Through Tommy’s love of Disney, he has also made so many friends who are autistic too, and who share his and Owen’s affinity for Disney. The joy in connecting with others through shared passions is something all humans share, and connecting with other Disney lovers has become a marvellous community of friends for Tommy. Tommy truly is one among millions who share his affinities. The running community has also embraced him and become a group of friends who share his affinity for running. We know that all people with Autism have unique affinities and through those passions they can find much joy and share that joy with others.
Owen- we wish you good luck tonight! Thank you to Ron and Owen’s whole family for sharing your story with the world. We hope to meet you one day! Tommy would be thrilled to recite Disney movies together with you, Owen 🙂
To Tommy’s friends- if you are not already following Life, Animated, check out their page, and the film! And in the comments below, please tell us about your unique affinities and how they have brought joy in your life! Autistic or not, please share with us how Disney and other passions have changed your life and helped you make connections 🙂
PS Although Life, Animated didn’t win the Oscar last night, Owen had an amazing experience and made history in the Autism Community! Check out Ron Suskind’s Facebook page and Twitter for photos from last night! Very exciting!
Also, please check out the Affinities survey at this link on Owen’s Sidekicks website and fill it out if you wish: https://sidekicks.com/affinitysurvey/…
#WhatsYourAffinity #DifferentNotLess #LifeAnimated
Life, Animated
February 26 at 9:30am ·
Oscars Tonight! Who’s tuning in to see Owen and family on the Red Carpet?
(Blog article by Ron Suskind via Autism Speaks)
Why this man with autism is being honored at the Oscars
If you’re watching the Academy Awards this weekend, you’ll see Owen Suskind, and here’s why…
https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2017/02/23/why-man-autism-being-honored-oscars?platform=hootsuite
February 19 2017
We are back home in Ottawa! Tommy was in California for a long time! He was in Chula Vista at the Olympic Training Center from Jan 21 to Feb 9. He made new amazing friends, trained very hard, and learned many incredibly valuable things on this part of his journey as a T20 para athlete dreaming to race at the World Championships this summer in England, and in Tokyo 2020.
Then his trip to California took him to Disneyland in Anaheim, where he had the joy of reconnecting with some wonderful old Disney character friends, some longtime YouTube friends, and meeting some dear YouTube friends in person for the first time. What an adventure, and what fun to spend time discovering all the magic at Disneyland with our dear friends Alyssa and VJ, Hannah, Dana and Scott, Lindsay, Valeria and Mason- your companionship and support made the magic so much more special! We were also grateful to be lucky enough to unexpectedly cross paths with friends like Jamie and her family, and many other YouTube friends, and also make so many brand new friends in the parks as Tommy reached out in his friendly way to so many kids and their families along the way.
Also, a very touching moment was our day in Marina Del Ray and Santa Monica, where Tommy reconnected with Farnaz and her husband Robbie. Farnaz was a therapist who worked with Tommy in 1997, when he was 5 years old. 20 years later, Tommy had his first conversation with her. It was incredible to see them chatting away together. We also visited the apartment where we stayed when Tommy was 5, and he led us from the pool area right to the door of our apartment. He remembered it all. What a great experience to take Tommy back to where we stayed 20 years ago, and how wonderful that Farnaz met him again! Thank you to each and every person who joined Tommy in his California adventure over the past few weeks, for being a part of making Tommy’s trip so fantastic.
There are lots of great photos and videos….we will be posting them little by little over the next while. Can’t wait to share the special moments with all of Tommy’s friends via his YouTube channel 🙂 Stay tuned 🙂
https://youtu.be/Xfb5EacUKSA
View this post on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=tommy%20des%20brisay-autism%20means%20friendship%20chula%20vistaTommy Des Brisay-Autism Means Friendship
February 12 2017
20 years ago, Tommy visited Disneyland at age 5 while in California for Autism therapy in 1997, but things didn’t go well at all. After about 2 hours of meltdown, we had to leave the park.
The Casey Junior train was closed for renovation, and Tommy saw it but didn’t understand that it was closed. Tommy always loved trains. Tommy’s lack of communication or speech at age 5 made the visit impossible for him.
After training at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, San Diego, it was time for Tommy to visit Disneyland again! And ride that train! Whee!
Thank you to Tommy’s friend Alyssa for filming Tommy’s first ride on Casey Junior, and joining us for his first day back at Disneyland! oxox
February 2 2017
For the 3rd year in a row, Tommy Des Brisay won the award in Running- Road Racing at the Ottawa Sports Awards banquet last night here in Ottawa. Because Tommy is training right now at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, he wasn’t there to receive the award. But Tommy wants to say thank you for the award, and thank you to everyone who supports him in the Ottawa running community, and his friends at the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, for being such a huge part of his running journey! It means so much to be surrounded by such a great community of people!
Here are the links to the YouTube videos when Tommy won this same award for 2014 and 2015.
Tommy would have loved to be there last night, to cheer for all the other amazing athletes in other sports who were recognized for there incredible achievements! Congratulations! <3 Here is what was written about Tommy regarding this year's award: RUNNING (ROAD RACING) - TOMMY DES BRISAY: Tommy was selected the road racer of the year at the recent Ottawa Lions banquet. This 25-year-old came very close to making the Canadian Paralympic team for the Rio Games in the T20 class for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The problem is all the Paralympic races are too short for a distance runner of Tommy’s abilities. He won the 2016 half-marathon race at the Canadian Army Run with a personal-best 1:12:24, winning by almost two minutes over second place and finishing ahead of over 8,500 participants. He added more wins at the Scotiabank Canada Day 5 km, the Wakefield Moon River 10 km and the Nine Run Run half-marathon race. A previous winner of our award for this sport, Tommy is looking forward to the next IPC Athletics World Championships when the 5000 m distance will be added.
January 21 2017
At 5:45 this morning, Tommy’s flight took off, taking him on his next amazing adventure!
Tommy is going to California! Whee! He was selected as a Paralympic hopeful for Tokyo 2020, and invited to train at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center in San Diego for three weeks!
Then he will visit Disneyland for the first time since 20 years ago when he was only 5 years old! Wheeeee!
Tommy is very excited about all the new friends he will make and the experiences he will have at the training center and then at Disneyland! What an adventure!
Click subscribe on his channel to follow along as we post about his trip!
#Whee
#AutismMeansFriendship
#Tokyo2020
#Disneyland