Babson College student who suffered paralyzing hockey accident thanks friends, family during keynote speech
When it comes to resiliency and overcoming adversity, there is no finer example than new Babson College graduate Jake Thibeault.
Just one week after coming to the school in 2021 on a hockey recruiting visit, Thibeault suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
"My entire youth I played hockey, I was certain I would play college hockey. I chased that goal right into the board," he said.
Thibeault was one of the top hockey prospects in New England before his injury. He decided to attend Babson College and join the men's hockey team, in part because of head coach Jamie Rice, who called him an inspiration. WBZ-TV spoke to Thibeault back in 2022 during his first week at the school.
"I feel like I have 35 brothers that I didn't have two weeks ago," Thibeault said of his teammates.
It came as no surprise to his family and friends that four years later, he would graduate with a degree in finance and sports management.
"My life changed and it shifted toward a life full of purpose," he said.
On Saturday, he took the stage in Wellesley as the keynote speaker for the class of 2026
"We have learned something about resilience. About what it means to continue moving forward when the words of choosing our journey, flip to the journey choosing us," he said in his speech. "There are days in my rehab where progress is measured in inches. The ability to define our adversity and attack it with the greatest level of energy allows progress to never stop moving forward."
Thibeault thanked his family, team, and classmates in his speech.
"It's been some of the best four years of my life," he said. "Love our people fiercely, and when progress feels at its smallest always remember that inches still moves you forward."
