Portrait of a professional hockey player with cystic fibrosis
An inspiring portrait of Justin Ducharme, a professional hockey player living with cystic fibrosis, who is turning his condition into a driver of performance and pursuing his dream of reaching the NHL.
Justin Ducharme's career
PUSH YOUR LIMITS EVEN FURTHER
By Roger Clavet — May 21, 2024
Hockey is a family business for Justin Ducharme, the talented hockey player for the Trois-Rivières Lions. It is true that this combative athlete, who lives with cystic fibrosis, grew up in a family environment where everyone plays or has played hockey at one point or another in their life.
“I grew up watching my big brother Hugo play competitive hockey. And in addition, it is my father Sylvain who coached, himself a former player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He pursued university studies at the University of Moncton, while playing for the university hockey team. My younger brother Xavier hasn't played hockey competitively for almost two years now. However, we had the chance to compete several times in the same circuit when he played for the Rimouski Oceanic and me for the Foreurs de Val d'Or. Inevitably, I fell in love with hockey at an early age. But I think it was only at the junior level that I realized that maybe I had a chance to make a career out of it,” says Justin Ducharme.
He admits that he feels privileged to have been raised in a family so predisposed to competitive sport. “My mother Julie Murray, adds number 71 of the Trois-Rivières Lions, has always supported me throughout my hockey career, as well as for my other brothers. I can't thank my parents enough for all the sacrifices made, both financially and in terms of the time spent in the arenas.”
CF as an additional dose of motivation
Even though he has cystic fibrosis, this 6-foot, 183-pound lad is not the type to feel sorry for himself. On the contrary, he claims to assume his condition by finding it an additional source of motivation.
“My condition has never limited me in anything, to be honest. I have always said that I am 'lucky in my unluck', in the sense that, at the pulmonary level, I am not greatly affected. However, my secretions are thicker than normal and my bronchi get easily obstructed when I am fighting a virus. But for the rest, my lung capacity is excellent. I have more digestive problems, but again, I have no limitations, as long as I take my medication regularly when I eat. In fact, my doctors have always encouraged me to stay active. For a person living with cystic fibrosis, exercising is essential. It's a natural way to clear your bronchi,” assures Justin Ducharme.
According to him, motivation and determination come naturally when it comes to pursuing a passion. “Sacrifications, such as sleep, training, or nutrition, have never been a burden for me because I always wanted to be the best or be part of the best everywhere I went. So I knew what it took. In addition, I certainly have a small additional element of motivation that comes from the fact that many people have often doubted my abilities because of my illness. I choose to use it as motivation to prove that I can achieve my goals like anyone else,” he summarizes.
A promising future
Much like every member of the large CF community, Justin Ducharme welcomes technological advances that allow the development of new treatments such as Trikafta, an almost miraculous drug reserved, however, for people with cystic fibrosis who have the necessary genetic mutation. In addition to relieving them, it significantly improves their quality of life.
“It certainly gives hope to a large proportion of the affected population, all thanks to research and the millions of dollars invested over many years for this purpose. For my part, I don't have access to Trikafta because I don't have the mutation that the drug was designed to treat. But I am in great shape and I live a life without limitations, so I even count myself lucky that I don't 'need' this treatment. To be honest, I don't really think about life expectancy because I would feel like I had an expiration date hanging over my head. As long as my condition is stable and I do what I have to do to keep it stable, I will continue to be well,” believes Justin Ducharme.
Objective: the National Hockey League
Already, Justin Ducharme's photo and memory album is full of great and beautiful moments.
“So far, says the standard-bearer for the Trois-Rivières Lions, “my happiest moment in hockey came when, during the same 2017-2018 season, I won two prestigious awards: the President's Cup in the QMJMQ, with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, and then the Cup Memorial, in Regina, Saskatchewan.”
Two years ago, while playing for the Laval Rocket, Justin feels that he felt his strongest sense of personal pride. “It was at that moment, I think, that I felt closest to my ultimate dream, which was to play in the National Hockey League,” admits the young athlete from Mirabel.
If it's up to him, Justin Ducharme should one day reach this level of excellence in professional hockey.
“All my life,” he concludes, “I have pushed my limits and overcame all the odds that come with the disease. I plan to do the same with life expectancy and my dream of one day playing in the National Hockey League.”
One thing is certain, if he does not succeed, it will not be by default to have tried and given everything.
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