Ahead of an attempted comeback to the Humboldt Broncos, Graysen Cameron says he's in the best shape of his life. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall

CLIMBING BACK IN THE SADDLE

Graysen Cameron looks to defy the odds with Humboldt Broncos comeback

Jul 19, 2019 | 2:13 PM

Graysen Cameron’s focus 16 months ago was on helping the Humboldt Broncos to a playoff series win.

Now, on the heels of a life-changing journey, playing the game he loves once again is his prime objective.

The Olds native was on the Broncos bus when it was slammed into by a semi-truck on April 6, 2018, killing 16 people and injuring 13 more.

Living through the heartache, the trauma, and the surgeries to repair a broken back, he took an assistant coaching role last year with the Red Deer Midget AAA Optimist Chiefs, his former team.

Cameron, who turned 20 in May, tells rdnewsNOW he’s heading back to Humboldt to battle for a spot with the franchise he’s become synonymous with.

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“I guess you could say there’s some hype about me coming back, which is a lot of added pressure,” he admitted. “I’m not nervous about it; I’m pretty excited. It’s not going to be easy, and there are going to be a lot of eyes expecting me to play well, which is good and bad.

“I want to perform, but I also know I’ve got limitations, and I’m just trying to get to as best a place as I can physically. If it turns out it’s not a good fit for me, I’ll be leaving on my own terms, not because of injury or because my body wasn’t strong enough.”

Cameron’s training regimen has included spending copious amounts of time with the trainers of the Calgary Flames. He feels by the time Broncos camp starts in late August, he’ll be in the best shape of his life.

(Submitted photo/Marla Possberg)

As for his mental fitness, he acknowledges there have been many ups and downs.

“It’s been a long journey, but I’m in a really good place now. I’m pretty focused, I know what I want to do and where I want to get to. It’s been a grind, but it’s made me a lot mentally stronger. I think I’m coming out of all the stuff that happened better,” he insists.

Mike Moller, assistant coach for the Optimist Chiefs, was nothing short of inspired by Cameron’s demeanour this past season.

“His maturity level, having gone through some adversity, really had a way of coming across to our players to appreciate every day, every practice, every game, and that it can be taken away. He was a great liaison, because of the age difference between us coaches and the players. His being able to communicate and understand a little bit more what they’re going through was invaluable,” says Moller.

“Here we were thinking this would be good for Graysen. Graysen was really good for us.”

Several players made a connection with Cameron during the season, including Cade Mason, who says he has no doubt Cameron’s comeback will be successful.

“The Broncos crash affected me in a very bad way. I knew Graysen and a lot of families that were impacted. We all lost a very good friend and teammate in Ryan McBeath right before that crash so it was a very bad time in my life. I think we all owe it to the players and families to cherish life more and not take things for granted,” says Mason.

“Everybody was very respectful to Graysen, and I think he would agree. Our whole team believes in him just like he believed in us.”

Graysen’s father Tyler Cameron says he’s incredibly proud of his son.

“As a parent, of course I worry a little bit. It’s a big thing to put on his shoulders, but he’s doing something he really wants to do, something that if he doesn’t try, he’ll probably regret it. He wants to go back there and finish what he started,” he says.

“If a kid wants to follow their dream, you let them follow their dream. “I’ve never pushed him to do anything, and I’ll encourage him for as long as he wants to do it.”

Graysen keeps in touch will all of his former teammates who survived the crash. A number of them recently spent time together in Kelowna. The others, he says, will be in his heart forever.

“They’re always there (on my mind), and I think I’m not going back for them, I’m going back for me. But I’m playing for them. I’ll always play for them,” he says of his fallen brothers.

“My only focus is getting to Humboldt and being able to perform there. I don’t want to show up and be average, I want to make a name for myself in the league, and do whatever it takes to try and get a championship there.”