OTTAWA -- More than 15,000 Ottawa residents have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past year. All have faced a battle they never could have expected; for some that fight was harder than others.
"It was 365 days ago that I was in Los Angeles, the Senators were on a western California trip," said Gord Wilson, Ottawa Senators colour commentator for TSN 1200.
That’s when Wilson’s COVID-19 journey began, exactly one year ago.
Travelling as the colour commentator for the Ottawa Senators on TSN 1200, it was after returning from that road trip he started feeling sick and got tested for COVID-19.
"The anxiety level went up every day because the virus really started to take control of the world," said Wilson.
He waited 11 days for the results. Wilson was among the first in Ottawa to contract the virus.
"It was three or four days in where I’d walk up a flight of stairs and could not catch my breath, just a terrible run down feeling," said Wilson. "Completely heavy legged, just no energy whatsoever."
He spent weeks in isolation to protect his family from the virus. His recovery lasted months.
"It was an eye-opener to say the least. When there’s the great unknown out there and it hits you, it really does hit hard," Wilson said.
Since that first case of COVID-19 on March 11, 2020, each of the 15,338 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have had difference experiences.
"I just felt really sick, like I couldn’t do anything at all," said Ashleigh Pomerant.
The 17-year-old contracted COVID-19 in June 2020 and while her symptoms weren’t pleasant, at first they were manageable.
Now she’s considered a COVID long hauler. Nine months later, Pomerant is still battling back.
"I was really scared for a lot of it, cuz I didn’t really know if I’d ever get better," she said.
"A big part of my identity has always been I’m an active person, I do a lot of sports and then I couldn’t. I kind of lost who I was for a bit."
For months, she had no energy, shortness of breath, and pain in her legs. Now, she is finally getting some energy back.
"I’m really trying to not get my hopes up about it, but I’m hoping the vaccines are out and I can have fun this summer," said Pomerant.
Wilson, too, is hopeful the end is near.
"Every second or third step is a step with caution, pre-caution, and go from there," he said.