Matt Cormier’s determination and spirit are unbreakable.
Last September, the 33-year-old Stratford rock climber broke his neck, elbow and leg when he fell more than 80 feet from the side of a New Brunswick cliff.
The devastating fall kept Cormier in a hospital bed for about three weeks.
But it wasn’t enough to stop him from returning to his passion.
Cormier has since made a near full recovery and returned to the cliff he fell from to teach a self-rescue course last month.
“It was really weird being back there,” said Cormier, who noted his family wasn’t surprised with his eagerness to return to climbing. “My wife definitely understands and supports it 100 per cent. I think everyone does… adventure and the outdoors, those activities fill a pretty big part of my life.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be the same.”
Cormier, an experienced climber, was in an event called the Wilford-Rendezvous when he fell.
He had pulled himself around an overhanging section of the cliff and didn’t realize his safety line was caught behind a sharp section of rocks.
A few moments later, Cormier fell and the rope that had saved him numerous times before cut almost instantly.
“As it loaded with weight, and because the edge was there, the rope just sliced through rather than catching me,” said Cormier, who still has no recollection of the event.
After waking up in hospital, Cormier was told although he would fully recover it could be four to six months before he would walk with assistance.
It was a timeline he quickly outpaced.
As soon as he was able, Cormier was back in the gym even if all he could do was get out of his wheelchair for some light exercise.
“Anything just to keep moving,” he said.
By New Year’s Day, Cormier was exercising on a climbing training area he previously built in his basement.
While only a few inches off the ground, it was a major milestone in his rapid progression.
Just over six months after his fall, on March 24, Cormier was back to his passion when he took part in an ice climb in N.B.
“It was pretty significant,” said Cormier, noting he recently returned to rock climbing.
Cormier credits both his speedy recovery and the fact that his injuries were not much worse to his dedication to fitness.
“(That) combined with wearing a helmet is what saved me in the fall,” said Cormier, who considered himself lucky to be in a group when he fell. “It was just the best day for the worst scenario to happen. I’ve been there so many times for a weekend where you don’t see anybody… there were almost 30 people there (that day).
“I’m super grateful for everybody who helped in any way, whether they were on site or helped us get back on our feet when I got home.”
Cormier is also grateful the scary experience has ultimately had a positive impact.
He said the high-angle rescue team Ascend N.B. are re-enacting the incident in training workshops and have received additional support from government and the local fire department.
A fellow rock climber from Boston also reached out to Cormier after seeing the documentary “Grounded” by Wrong Horse Productions on YouTube.
Related: Aspiring Charlottetown filmmaker hopes rock climbing short documentary is first of many
The Boston climber suffered a similar serious climbing accident two weeks prior and, although he was also told he would eventually have a full recovery, was struggling to come to terms.
“(He) thanked me for sharing my story and just let me know what it meant to him… it gave him hope and some motivation,” said Cormier, “It was a really, really cool moment to know it affected somebody in such a way, to know it positively impacted them… I always told everyone (during recovery), I just hope something positive can come from this.”
