Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 38

S TA R C U S T O M E R
BY C Y N T H I A R O S E , P H OTO S BY R O N K I R K
In many ways, Ron Kirk is your typical Subaru owner: enthusiastic
and loyal to the core. You can easily identify his fierce pride in being part
of the Subaru family through his Instagram feed—and the modifications
he’s made to his 2017 Subaru Outback 3.6R.
There’s also the sheer joy he feels when a random stranger waves
from behind the wheel of another Subie. Better still, there’s the smile
that spreads across his lips when people ask to take a selfie in front of
his unique ride.
But what makes him an unforgettable member of the Subaru family is
this: When not behind the wheel of his beloved Outback, Ron blazes a
trail in his wheelchair.
In 2011, this adventure-seeking father of three from Nanaimo was on
his motorcycle when a drunk driver hit him. The accident was devastating,
leaving Ron without the use of his legs—painful enough for anyone,
perhaps even more so for a man who loved to hike, downhill ski and explore
mountain roads whenever the mood struck.
He would spend a year and a half in hospital—undergoing extensive
rehabilitation and discovering a new purpose. With the unwavering
support of family and friends, Ron passed this dark period with a
renewed outlook on life.
He became an ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation, speaking
to children of all ages, bringing increased awareness of spinal cord
injuries and research. “Talking with kids is great,” he says. “They just
come out and ask me the questions that adults are too uncomfortable
to ask me.” (Their tenacious nature, it seems, reminds him of someone.)
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