TRL VOLLEYBALL PLAYER STLART RICHEY'S HEARTBREAK PACE A15

INSIDE TODAY
HOMELAND
HORROR
WATCHING THE
CARNAGE IN KIEV
FROM KAMLOOPS
PAGE A3
K
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CLOWNING
AROUND
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WORKSHOP
TAKES THE STAGE
PAGE B1
Friday, February 21, 2014 Volume 27 No. 21 Kamloops, B.C., Canada 30 cents at Newsstands
WHATS HAPPENING
THIS WEEKEND
ARTS SECTION /B1
WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK
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I
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A
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PAGE B5
EAAAAAAKKKK P

He was my best friend, best friend

and brother. Its like knowing no
ones ever going to get that close
to you again. He knew things
that no one else will.
CIABATTA BACON
CHEESEBURGER
Yl5lT U5 AT TH5 LOCATlON5: KLOWNA NTlCTON 5ALHON AH YALLYYlW UTLAN0 YNON W5T KLOWNA NOTH KAHLOO5 5AHALl 2014 Wendys International, LLC.
www.kamloopsthisweek.com FRIDAY, February 21, 2014 "#$
By Adam Williams
STAFF REPORTER
adam@kamloopsthisweek.com
I
T WAS THREE
days before
Stuart Richeys
21st birthday
Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013
that his life changed
forever.
He was in Burns
Lake at the time a
forest-fire fighter in his
summers, he was work-
ing in the area when
he got the call.
It was early, around
five in the morning.
He heard his moth-
ers voice on the other
end of the phone his
brother Connor had
been in an accident.
Stuart should hurry.
Connor and Stuart
were born three minutes
apart, Connor being the
elder. They were close,
as most twins usually
are, and the news was
devastating.
I was angry, Stuart
says. I was very angry
I was punching my
bed, screaming.
Connor had been in
Vancouver watching a
Whitecaps soccer game
with his girlfriend. He
had been standing on
a SkyTrain platform
at East Broadway and
Commercial Drive
waiting for the train
that would take him
home.
He leaned against a
railing on the edge of
the platform a rail-
ing that, at 42 inches
tall, is now the subject
of an ongoing coroners
investigation and
fell over it, dropping
40 feet to the concrete
below.
It was a freak acci-
dent.
Connor was taken
to Vancouver General
Hospital with a trau-
matic head injury and
broken bones in his
neck, wrist and pelvis.
Stuart made the
two-hour trip to
Prince George where
he caught a plane to
Vancouver. It was a
relatively short flight
a little more than an
hour direct but felt
like the longest he had
ever taken.

***

Just hours earlier,
at 8:40 p.m., at home
in Roberts Creek a
Sunshine Coast com-
munity of 3,000, half-
way between the town
of Gibsons and the
District of Sechelt
Stuart and Connors
mother Jan received a
similar phone call.
The caller ID read
Vancouver General
Hospital, but it wasnt
an unusual number for
the former volleyball
player to see on the
display. Jan dealt with
complications from
two hip surgeries and
figured the call was a
reminder for an upcom-
ing appointment the
hospital always seemed
to call at the strangest
of times.
But when Jan
answered the phone and
learned the real reason
for the call, she col-
lapsed into hysterics.
You go into com-
plete panic mode,
thinking all the worst
things and worst sce-
narios, she says. Its
interesting because I
can replay that whole
night, basically minute
by minute almost. Even
though it was constant
stuff, it just comes back
to you so clearly.
Its still really hard
to believe . . . its just
really hard to believe.
She and husband
George had a little
more than an hour to
catch the last ferry to
Vancouver.
She recalls feeling
lucky had it been
just a few weeks later,
the ferry would have
switched to its winter
hours.
They made it to the
Langdale ferry ramp
in time frantically
making arrangements
with family members
and friends on the
way and settled in
for the hour-long trip
to Horseshoe Bay, as
Connor lay in a hospital
bed just 50 kilometres
away.

***

Connor was a golfer,
a good one at that.
He had been sched-
uled to leave for Texas
the following week,
attending Ranger
College on a golf
scholarship. He was a
physical specimen a
dedicated athlete who
golfed two rounds a
day, went to the gym
to work out in between
and still found time to
hit the driving range
before the day was out.
But now, he was
lying in a hospital bed
in VGH as family and
friends flocked in from
around the country
his sister Kyla came
from Winnipeg, where
she was playing volley-
ball with Team Canada.
Stuarts room-
mate and fellow
WolfPack player Matt
Krueger came in from
Abbotsford. Others
from the Coast made
the trip everyone
wanted to see Connor,
everyone wanted their
time with him.
For Stuart, it was
the worst.
F
R
I
D
A
Y
Sports: Marty Hastings 250-374-7467 (ext. 235)
sports@kamloopsthisweek.com
SPORTS
Twin brothers Connor (left) and Stuart Richey in vacation mode. Connor was killed in a freak accident last summer at a
SkyTrain station in Vancouver. Stuart, a TRU WolfPack volleyball player, is doing his best to cope with the loss, with
teammates, family and friends helping him along the way. Connor was 20 when he died.
Dealing with the
loss of a lifetime
TRU volleyball player Stuart Richey
suffering through death of twin brother
Connor Richey planned to
attend Ranger College in
Texas on a golf scholarship.
The accident that took his
life occured a week before
he was scheduled to head
south. See HE WAS A16
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SPORTS
I was telling my
friends to come say
bye, Stuart says, fight-
ing back tears. It was
a sleepless night, for
sure.
He had arrived at
VGH at 11 a.m. on
Sunday, a little more
than 12 hours after
Connor fell. Stuart sat
with his older brother,
told him how much he
loved him.
The family wrote
goodbye letters to
Connor, reading them to
him before the doctors
came to get him so his
organs could be donat-
ed. Jan says reading
those letters was one
of the most anguishing,
heart-wrenching experi-
ence a family could go
through.
They knew early
on that it was unlikely
Connor would survive
his injuries he had
almost no brain func-
tion.
Connor never
regained consciousness
and, at 2:15 p.m. on
Aug. 11, the doctors
declared him legally
dead.
He was my best
friend best friend
and brother, Stuart
says.
Its like knowing no
ones ever going to get
that close to you again.
He knew things that no
one else will.
That was the day
Stuarts life changed
forever. Losing a sibling
is hard enough, but los-
ing a twin is a different
kind of loss entirely.
Connor had always
been there for him,
always a friend to play
with, always someone
to talk to.
He didnt feel like
he could talk to anyone
now, certainly not about
Connor. Six months
after his brothers acci-
dent, he still doesnt
talk about it much.
Up here, no one
knew who he was,
Stuart says. So, it was
like not really being
alone, but sort of alone,
in the sense that no one
really knows who he
was, what Im going
through.
There was a time
when he wasnt sure he
was going to come back
to TRU. In the days
following Connors ser-
vice a memorial at
the Sechelt Golf Course
that drew more than
800 mourners Stuart
and his parents tried to
decide what was best
for him.
Should he stay in
Roberts Creek? Go
travel?
In the end, they
decided hed return to
TRU, to his friends and
his volleyball team, his
regular routines and his
business degree. They
hoped routines would
help Stuart cope and
get him through the
tough days.
He says he came
back because he, too,
thought it was best to
return to his routines
but, in a sense, he also
came back for Connor.
The fact that we
were so athletic grow-
ing up, too, I thought
hed want me playing
instead of just sitting
around doing nothing,
Stuart says.
He was my best friend
best friend and brother
Stuart Richey and the TRU WolfPack are competing in the
Canada West Final Four conference championship
tournament this weekend in Langley. Allen Douglas/KTW
The Richey twins, donning matching outfits, prepare to brave the water.
From A15
See RICHEYS A17
CRIME STOPPERS IS SUPPORTED BY
HIT AND RUN IN HOTEL PARKING LOT
CRIME OF THE WEEK
HOME BROKEN INTO
DURING THE DAY
BULLETS DAMAGE VEHICLES
KAMLOOPS Cr i me St opper s WANTED
A suspect vehicle was seen smashing
into a parked vehicle at the West end
of the Coast Hotel parking lot on
Rogers Way, at approximately 1050
am on Sunday February the 2nd. The
suspect vehicle hit the other vehicle
hard enough to know there had
been a collision. The suspect driver,
instead of getting out to examine
the damage, the person just drove
of out of the parking lot.
This suspect vehicle was seen by
a witness but they could not get a
licence plate, they did describe the
suspect vehicle, as a 3 / 4 ton, white
pickup truck, they were unsure of the
make or model of the truck but said
it had the word Lowen on the side.
The suspects vehicle had signifcant
damage to them and would be easily
noticed by someone seeing the truck.
If you have any information
on this hit and run or know the
whereabouts of this suspect vehicle,
please contact Crime Stoppers, you
will receive a cash reward upon the
arrest of the suspect.
On Wednesday February 12th a home
owner on the 400 block of Alexander
St. was shock to fnd their house had
been broken into. The home owner
was out of the house from noon to
one oclock to get groceries, when
they came back, the house had been
searched through. The suspects may
have been watching the home for the
owner to leave, the suspects forced
open a basement side door, that gave
them full access to the entire house.
Once inside the suspects were
selective in what they took, only
taking a small amount of cash and
some personal identifcation.
This is a good reminder for
everyone to be aware of who is in your
neighbourhood, if you see someone
suspicious call the police right away,
dont be a victim to these thieves.
If you have any information on this
break and enter please contact Crime
Stoppers only your information will
be used never your name.
MUG SHOTS
Early Monday morning, between
5:10 and 5:15 am, February 17th, a
security guard was patrolling near
the Toyota Car dealership on Caribou
Place, when he heard several gun
shots coming from Hillside Dr. The
shots were directed towards several
vehicles on the dealership car lot, a
further inspection found that four
vehicles had been hit by bullets. The
RCMP forensic unit attended and
located shell casings from where the
shots were fred from, as well they
retrieved bullets from the vehicles
that had been struck by the bullets.
This act of vandalism is not only
senseless, it is very dangerous to
the public. Although it was early in
the morning, there are people in the
area on Hillside Dr or Caribou Place,
someone may seen the suspects or a
suspicious vehicle nearby.
If you have any information
regarding this incident, please
contact Crime Stoppers, you will
remain anonymous and will never
have to go to court.
www.kamloopscrimestoppers.ca
BARTKOWSKI,
STEVEN BERND
Birth date: 71-05-06
Age: 42
Caucasian male
Height: 173 cm (508)
Weight: 82kg (181 lbs)
Hair: brown
Eyes: blue
Wanted for: Breach of
Released Conditions
MCLEAN, TYLER
RONALD
Birth date: 86-11-29
Age: 27
Caucasian male
Height: 188 cm (602)
Weight: 079 kg, (175 lbs)
Hair: blonde
Eyes: blue
Wanted for: Personation
and Obstruction
RONNING,
JENNIFER
Birth date: 1977-08-19
Age: 36
Caucasian female
Height: 165 cm (505)
Weight: 59 kg, (130 lbs)
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Hazel
Wanted for: Possession
of a Controlled Substance,
Driving While Impaired,
Breach of Release Conditions
If you know where any of these people are, call Crime Stoppers
at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). The tip line pays up to $2,000 for information
leading to the arrest of fugitives. Remember, Crime Stoppers just wants your
information, not your name. Crime doesnt pay, but Crime Stoppers does.
This Program is jointly sponsored by Kamloops Crime Stoppers and Kamloops This Week.
People featured are wanted on arrest warrants not vacated as of 3pm on Wed, Feb 19, 2014
BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE.
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Phone: (250)828-0511
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www.kamloopsthisweek.com FRIDAY, February 21, 2014 "#$
SPORTS
Jan and George are proud of
their children for continuing on
with their lives despite the loss of
Connor. Theyre doing everything
they can to support Stuart and Kyla
and the last year has made all of
them realize the importance of fam-
ily and cherishing every moment
together.
Im so proud of him that he
came to school, Jan says, hold-
ing back tears. Hes playing. Hes
playing phenomenally well.
Stuarts sister Kyla also returned
to volleyball after Connor passed
away. She now plays professionally
in Turkey.
Both of them could have just
said, Forget it, and packed it in,
Jan says.
But, they didnt, even though
there were days when they certainly
wanted to they used sport as a
means of coping with the tragedy.
There were days when getting
out of bed seemed like too much,
days when he thought about giving
up, calling his parents and asking
them to come get him and take him
back to Roberts Creek.
But then the afternoon would
roll around and it was time to go to
volleyball practice.
Volleyball helped him get
through those dark days, surround-
ed by positive teammates, their
work ethic and dedication.
Its been helpful, said Stuart,
whose WolfPack squad is compet-
ing in the Canada West Final Four
conference championship tourna-
ment this weekend in Langley.
TRU head coach Pat Hennelly
says Stuart has had a resurgence
this season, as has the rest of the
WolfPack. With Stuart now in his
fourth season, Jan has seen her
sons team play for years but
theres a little something extra this
season, a greater sense of team.
He wont take credit for that,
but I do think it has a little bit to
do with even though theyre
not overtly saying anything to
Stuart theyre like, OK, well if
Stuart can come to practice after
what hes gone through, why am
I complaining? Jan says.
***

Its been six months since
Connors accident since the day
Stuarts life changed forever and
things havent really gotten easier.
People told him they would, that
things would improve, each day
would be a little bit easier than the
last, but it hasnt happened yet.
I think Ive just gotten better at
putting a face on and managing it a
bit better, not in the sense that it has
gotten better, Stuart says.
I dont think it gets better. I
think it changes, his mother adds.
I think you move sideways. Its
fluid.
Were changed and, if theres a
positive that will come out of it
. . . it changes who you are and
hopefully it will change us in a
positive way.
Stuart says hes different now.
He was once money-hungry,
always saving, always wanting to
earn more. Now, he hardly sees
the point; when his friends talk
about money hes of the mind
there are more important things in
life. Things were the same with
school how could he care about
business ethics after losing his best
friend?
The family takes some comfort
in the fact Connors organs were
donated following his accident
his lungs to a boy with cystic fibro-
sis, his kidneys to someone in kid-
ney failure, dependent on dialysis.
His liver, eyes and pancreas
were also given to others.
Thats not something we had
ever discussed, Jan says of the
donation. It just seemed like he
was an athlete in his prime and that,
if he could help other people, it just
seemed to be a logical conclusion.
Connors grandmother thought
his shoulders should have been
donated as well he had great
shoulders.
I havent thought about it a lot,
but I certainly feel that it wasnt
a complete waste, his death, Jan
says. I think the thought that peo-
ple benefitted from this, there has
to be some positive.
The Richeys also used the trag-
edy to start a memorial fund the
Connor Richey Legacy Fund.
Theyve received $13,000 in dona-
tions so far and are looking at what
to do with the money. They know
the fund will have something to do
with golf, maybe using the money
to help kids access the game
Connor would have liked that.
Theyll also be hosting a golf
tournament in Connors memory
this summer at the Sechelt Golf
Course. A few members of the
WolfPack might make the trip
out, listening as the family shares
their memories of Connor the
Thanksgiving dinner plates with
gravy in the place of vegetables, the
way he always knew exactly how
to make his brother lose his temper,
the way Stuart used to have to act
as Connors translator when they
were kids, when he had a speech
impediment and Stuart was the only
one who could understand him.
Then theyll play the game he
loved and remember him.
Richeys using volleyball to honour Connor
From A16
Sporty siblings
Stuart (left), Kyla
and Connor Richey.
Kyla plays volleyball
professionally in
Turkey. Connor is
never far from the
minds of Stuart and
Kyla.
Donations to the Connor Richey
Legacy Fund can be made at any
credit union in B.C.
1253, av. McCill College, 3
e
Iage, MohIral (Qubec) H38 2Y5
1l. : 514-845-7256 l 1lc. : 514-845-1648 l www.palmhavas.ca
2
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