Peterborough Huskies Coach Converts Bedroom Into Gear Warehouse For Special Needs Team

The special needs hockey team Peterborough Huskies team continues to grow in popularity—and numbers. In doing so, they have to make room for all the equipment somewhere. 

To create space, Huskies Head Coach Chris J-Boy Williams converted what was once a basement bedroom in his house into a Huskies gear warehouse.

BEFORE

AFTER

The Huskies team is not only amping up for a new season but team management have already begun planning the International Special Needs hockey tournament they landed. That takes place here in Peterborough in March 2017 and is a major tournament to coordinate, with 75 teams and about 1,500 players coming into town for that.

Email the Huskies here if you're interesting in sponsoring the team/tournament or helping out in anyway.

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Here's Why A Peterborough Woman Did A Boudoir Photo Shoot For Everyone To See

In today's society, the concept of the female body image is one that women and girls all around the world struggle with. Many body types seem unattainable thanks to photoshop editing that we see in magazines and online every day.

Sara Lunn photo courtesy Stephanie Hayes

For Peterborough's Sara Lunn, the thought of taking a series of boudoir photos with local photographer Stephanie Hayes for the public to see was nerve-wracking. Steph had put the word out she was looking for women to photograph for a boudoir shoot for her online portfolio, and Sara initially jumped at the chance but soon had second thoughts.

Sara Lunn photo courtesy Stephanie Hayes

"I sat there and stewed about it for a long time," she writes in a blog entry on Steph's site. "I wanted to work with her, but I was torn. One half of me totally wanted to be that girl who looked amazing, fun, and flirty. The other half of me kindly reminded myself that I would have to hide most of my body and there was no way I would be fully comfortable. Surely she would find someone better suited for it (whatever that meant)."

Sara Lunn photo courtesy Stephanie Hayes

"I have struggled with loving myself for my whole life," adds Sara. "I am not comfortable in my own skin. I can’t remember a time when I was ever comfortable. I have an amazing partner [Ian George, her fiancé] who makes me feel like I am the most beautiful creature on the planet. He also reminds me that no one is perfect and that he loves me because of my imperfections; it’s what makes me who I am."

Sara Lunn photo courtesy Stephanie Hayes

After trying to think of excuses to back out, Sara ultimately decided to take a leap of faith and go ahead with the shoot.

"When I arrived for the shoot, I met two other women, and as it turned out, we were all incredibly nervous. It was awesome to sit and chat about what our concerns were before the shoot, how we have dealt with our insecurities and what we all hoped to take away that night. It was really great meeting people in totally different places in their lives, but, we all shared similar concerns and fears."

Sara Lunn photo courtesy Stephanie Hayes

"I was the last one to be photographed and I must admit, it was an absolute blast and would do it a million more times," Sara writes. "Steph made me feel so comfortable and to be honest, I think I was laughing for most of it (when I wasn’t trying to be serious)."

Sara Lunn photo courtesy Stephanie Hayes

"When I look at my pictures I am blown away. The first picture I saw, I actually squealed out loud and jumped up and down. That is me! Holy crap! I feel beautiful and sexy and most of all – confident and comfortable. That’s all I ever wanted. So to Steph, I say thank you. Thank you for capturing me in a light I never knew existed. It’s wonderful."

Sara Lunn photo courtesy Stephanie Hayes

"I didn't do this for my fiancé Ian, I did it for myself," Sara tells PTBOCanada. "I did it because I knew it was outside of my comfort zone and I knew Steph wanted to use the photos for her portfolio so I knew more people would see them other than just Ian and myself."

Kudos for Sara for being courageous enough to do this. The photos are beautiful.

View more photos from the shoot here.

—by Aaron Elliott

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An 18-Year-Old Peterborough Transgender Male Launches Crowdfunding Surgery Campaign

An 18-year-old Peterborough transgender male named Kieran Kelly is female to male, pre-op. Kieran started testosterone on March 28th, 2013, marking the start of his physical transition.

Being on testosterone has increased Kieran's quality of life monumentally. Kieran is more confident, and happier all-around.

Picture of Kieran via GoFundMe campaign

The next step for Kieran in physical transition is top surgery to remove any extra breast tissue. The surgery and associated fees come to be about $10,000—something Kieran simply can't afford.

So Kieran has launched a GoFundMe campaign called "Kieran's Top Surgery Fund" in order to make this surgery possible. 

I'm raising money for Kieran's Top Surgery Fund. Click to Donate: http://t.co/wcpxEwdpkl via @gofundme

— Kieran Kelly (@shakieraan) June 12, 2015

Yes, Kieran says, this surgery may seem like something he can go without. But there are many important reasons he wants to make this surgery happen...

• Binding (wearing a chest-compression vest in order to hide any extra breast tissue) is incredibly dangerous and can result in respiratory problems, as well as back problems. Not to mention the fact that it just causes really awful back pain.

• Not having had top surgery means that Kieran can't participate in a lot of things that other people can. For example: Kieran can't go swimming, because wet binders aren't fun to wear and he has yet to find any effective trans-friendly swimwear.

• There is a male role in a musical in Peterborough that Kieran would absolutely love to audition for, but he has to be shirtless on stage at one point.

Most important, he says on the GoFundMe page, "it has a really negative effect on my mental health. Being this unhappy/uncomfortable with your body, and being held back from participating in things takes a really huge toll on your mental health. My happiness is compromised big time by it, and it's all just because I was given two X chromosomes instead of and X and a Y."

Learn more about Kieran's campaign here.

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