Young goalie samples life in Italy
Brent Walters came for the hockey and was enthralled by Italy’s cultural charms
PLEASANT VALLEY, N.S. – The winding cobblestone streets of an Italian town were a totally new world for Brent Walters.
The Pleasant Valley athlete was in Italy for the first time as a Team Canada hockey player in the Deaflympics, held in the Alpine resort of Chiavenna last month. On the ice, Walters represented his country well at the international tournament, while off-ice he sampled the cultural offerings.
“It was nerve-wracking being so far away, but being with the team, we bonded, and then it was much better,” recalled Walters. “I was so lucky and happy.”
As some players are completely deaf, no one was allowed to wear hearing aids on the ice. Instead, players used sign language to communicate and play is stopped with flashing lights.
Team Canada won silver, and Walters, a goaltender, earned most-valuable-player honours in a semi-final game against Finland. But the real fun was to be had off the ice with some tasty Italian gelato.
“The whole team had it and they all loved how it tastes way better than Canadian ice cream,” said Walters.
He worked off the gelato by walking through the tightlypacked streets of Chiavenna, its buildings jammed so close together there was barely room to squeeze through. At night, the town lit up with a display of Christmas lights.
It was a far cry from the rolling fields and forests around Pleasant Valley.
But Walters was never far from nature, as the Italian Alps surrounded Chiavenna and he hiked up a nearby mountain to take in the view.
He had a chance to explore more of northern Italy, venturing to the towns of Varenna, near Lake Maggiore and Sondrio. There, he saw more old buildings nestled in the foothills of the Alps, their windows graced by wooden shutters.
Walters enjoyed venturing into street-side stores, selling a wide variety of Italian candies. Even the pasta, which Walters eats at home, tastes and looks different from Canada’s.
“I learned their way of life is different; for example the cars don’t stop for you and you have to be attentive when crossing the street,” said Walters.
Throughout their travels, Walters and his hockey teammates were often treated as minor celebrities by their Italian hosts.
“They were kind and a lot of people saw my Team Canada jacket, some of them asked for autographs,” said Walters.
He was proud to represent his country far from home, a sentiment shared by his brother, Glen-ryan.
“This must have been very exciting and he played well, for sure,” said Glen-ryan.
Team Canada’s record during the Deaflympics was 5-1. They were beaten 7-3 by the United States in the gold medal game.