Long road back: Behind one Southwestern Ontario man’s daily 4-km trek

With his reflective wear and daily treks along a busy road south of St. Thomas, it’s hard to miss Rob Viscontas.

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Every weekend morning during rush hour, and even on weekends, he can be seen walking along a stretch of Sunset Drive between Sparta Line and an area landmark, Shaw’s Ice Cream-Dairy Bar.

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Viscontas waves, salutes and flashes the peace sign to drivers, many of whom also wave, honk their horns or flick their headlights at him.

You might think the Union man, who’s been walking the four-kilometer route for two years, including weekdays between 7 and 8:30 am, is just out to stay in shape.

In fact, the daily trek that he says has “taken on a life of his own” is part of his own recovery from a debilitating brain injury that leaves him unable to speak without slurring or mixing up his words and unable to walk without help.

Starting with short distances, and extending them out, the 55-year-old said he’s worked hard to build up to the distance he puts in. And his many brief interactions with drivers give him a motivating daily lift.

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He began walking, he said, because he needs to keep the ankle on a problem foot in motion. “If I don’t use it, I lose it.”

Things looked very different eight years ago when, on Christmas Eve, Viscontas felt severe pain in his neck.

He drove himself to the hospital in St. Thomas, only to wake up at London Health Sciences Centre. He had no idea how much time had passed, or how he’d made it to London.

Viscontas had suffered from a ruptured aneurysm, meaning an artery in his brain had burst. Under serious conditions, it can cause brain damage, a coma and even death.

For six months, he was unable to speak properly. For two years, he couldn’t walk unassisted.

For Viscontas, who had worked in quality control at a former truck factory in St. Thomas, the road back only looked uphill. But he kept a positive outlook, he said.

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Gradually, he progressed from using a walker to get around, to crutches and eventually a cane, before being able to walk on his own.

“I couldn’t control my feet, my hand or my speech at that time, but one thing I (could) control, is my attitude,” he said.

He said he can feel his right foot but still can’t move it, which makes it more difficult for him to walk and requires occasional stops.

And his left hand only functions at 50 per cent, which he considers especially frustrating as a lefty.

Viscontas insists he needs the “(commuters) more than they need me,” but it’s clear they find his daily walk inspiring.

On Facebook, he wrote a post Oct. 19 thanking people for their encouragement, to which he’s had overwhelming feedback — more than 1,000 positive interactions, including replies from those who’ve seen him out walking.

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“Always a great start to the day Rob! Thanks for always putting a smile on our faces in the mornings,” one person replied.

Write another: “Makes my day every day to see you and wave on my way to work! Keep it up.”

Viscontas’s daily regimen has also led to new friendships along the route.

Tiffany Graham met Viscontas when he began walking along Sunset Drive, where she lives, and they developed a friendship. Sometimes, he uses a bench in front of his home to rest.

“I think he’s made a really positive impact,” Graham said. “People really look forward to seeing him in the morning, and it gives them something to look forward to, for them and for him. I know it puts a smile on my face,” she said.

Graham said when she waits with her kids for the morning school bus, sometimes she’ll stay out to talk with Viscontas. It could be for 20 minutes, and sometimes up to an hour.

Only a handful of times since he started the daily trek has he foregone it, said Viscontas, adding he follows the postal delivery creed — “rain, sleet, or snow, or whatever, I’m out here” — and hopes he can eventually extend his walk even farther.

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Twitter.com/BrianWatLFPress

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada

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