Compelling Calgarians: Curtis Ruttle | Calgary Herald

Author of the article: Barb Livingstone  •  for the Calgary Herald Curtis Ruttle is working to help other vision-impaired youth pursue their love of sports such as skateboarding, leading the push to make skate parks in Calgary and across Canada accessible. Photo by Brendan Miller /Postmedia Having limited vision from birth hasn’t stopped 17-year-old Curtis Ruttle from playing hockey, swimming, skiing and skateboarding. Advertisement This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In fact, the Grade 11 Bishop Carroll student, who won the Calgary Award (youth) last year, has not let anything stop him from playing sports he loves — and advocating for others who want to do the same. “People would ask my parents, ‘why do you let him do crazy things; he might get hurt?’ Well, anyone could get hurt. My parents never said ‘no’ to me trying something.” Ruttle is legally blind (about 10 per cent vision) as are his dad and sister. But with a lifelong mantra of “you don’t need sight to have a vision,” he founded the Alt Route project (with mentor Matt Janz), working to make skate parks accessible for low- and no-vision youth. When the teen tried skateboarding two-plus…
Read More