Class of 2008 graduate Paul Yankle passed away suddenly on Monday, November 30.
Many recognized Paul as a nice, positive, and happy person, but behind the happy face was a fierce competitor in the Wheel Chair Hockey League of Michigan (WCHL).
The league has been around for a nearly 15 years. It allows any wheelchair bound athletes that are between the ages of 10-60 years old and to participate in a sport they love.
Those who knew Paul saw how happy this made him. As a friend of Paul through the Newspaper class, we would talk about the Red Wings and his hockey league daily.
He put his disability behind him, and didn’t make excuses for what he couldn’t do, and looked at it as a chance to enjoy himself. As a Board member and former winner of the Stanley cup of the WCHL (Wheelers cup), Paul played a large role in the WCHL.
To give you an idea of how large of a role he played, here is a glance of his resume in the league, Andy Siwarski Award, Defensive player of the year, Sportsmanship award, and a three time all star.
Mentally, Paul was one of the strongest people I ever met; he battled Muscular Dystrophy, which is a disease that weakens the muscles which help the body to move. Like Paul, other athletes in the WCHL suffer from Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Bifida and Spinal Cord injuries.
A black ribbon dedicated to Paul’s remembrance is on the heading of the web. Along with the web site, posts on Paul’s Facebook page from teammates reminisce upon their past experiences with him.
While knowing Paul, I never saw him or hear him complain about his physical disability. He never wanted people to feel bad for him; he had a positive attitude at school and sports, while making a negative into a positive and using that energy in his passion; hockey.
From Paul, I learned that I should never give up on anything, and I should truly enjoy what I can within my abilities, and I should try my best in whatever sport I play.
The motto of the WCHL is “Don’t just sit there, Play hockey.”
It’s a true statement towards the confidence and spirit that everyone in the league shows. This was noticed by Fox Sports Detroit and played multiple times on Red Wings Weekly.
Reporter Mickey York said, “Every athlete here is just as inspirational and passionate as those players over in Hockeytown.” The intention of the piece was to inform viewers that all athletes are the same whether in wheel chair or not, we all run on heart.
Paul used the WCHL to escape the ordinary and enjoy himself. His views of the league can only give those who didn’t know Paul a small sense of how truly inspirational he was.
“There’s really no disability here, if everyone has an ability we can all do something here, there’s nothing that you can’t do. That’s what makes it so special.”
