Ryan Straschnitzki, the hockey player from Airdrie who was paralyzed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash a year ago, says every day since the accident has been a challenge for him, but he has pledged to stay positive.

The young man’s love of hockey began when he was a boy, dreaming of playing the sport at a professional level.

He joined the Humboldt Broncos when he was 16 years old and continued with the club right up until that fateful day a year ago.

The team had just finished Game 4 against the Nipawin Hawks and was on the way to play Game 5 when the team bus collided with a semi tractor-trailer that failed to stop at a marked intersection on a rural highway.

The crash killed 16 members of the team and support staff and injured 13 others, including Ryan.

Ryan says he has few memories about the crash itself.

“All of a sudden I hear a scream from the front of the bus and a semi truck pulled out in front of us ... I woke up and my back was against the semi,” he remembers. “I saw my teammates in front of me and my first instinct was to get up and try to help but I couldn't move my body.”

The crash left Ryan with severe injuries to his spine and doctors told him he would likely never walk again.

Since then, Ryan says he’s gone through a lot, from fighting back to heal from his injury to being an inspiration to many people across Canada and the world.

“If my story touches the hearts of people and works then I guess I am doing my job and that makes me happy.”

Michelle Straschnitzki says over the past year, she’s learned that Ryan possesses an “incredible spirit, determination and strength” that she never knew he had.

“It’s just such a different side of him, the reason for his passion for hockey and everything else is starting to play out in different aspects of his life. I’m really proud of him.”

The family is still awaiting renovations to be complete on their home in Airdrie and Michelle says it will be a relief for all of them when they can finally settle back in.

“I know the kids are all looking forward to have their own spaces again.”

Ryan adds that every day isn’t always going to be great, but he keeps himself going with his positive attitude.

“The best you can be is when you’re being positive,” he says. “I keep that close to me.”

Ryan says the past year has also taught him a lot about himself too.

“There’s more to a person than just his or her legs and when one door closes, another door opens. I’ve had a lot of opportunities over the past year and I’m really grateful for that.”

The past year has also brought his family closer together.

“We spent the whole year together, which hasn’t happened since I was about 15,” he says. “We’re getting to know a whole lot about each other and go through ups and downs just like any other family.”

Ryan’s dad Tom says his son’s good and bad days have become a lot clearer ever since the crash.

“He’s like everyone else; everyone has good days and bad days. His bad days would be kind of ‘Why am I like this?’ and he gets frustrated having to move his own legs, but then he gets into a good day because you have to get out of the bad days.”

Above all else, he wants Ryan to enjoy every part of his new life.

“Get a job like every other 19-year-old. Go through some of those doors that have opened for him and just check his new life out.”

Straschnitzki is still undergoing physiotherapy to help with his injury but plans to undergo surgery in Thailand in the future.

“There is a treatment in Thailand called the epidural stimulator. It’s sort of like a pacemaker. Basically, it allows you to move muscles that you weren’t able to move before and do things that make your life a lot easier.”

He plans to have that procedure sometime in the fall.

(With files from Brenna Rose)