OTTAWA -- Kevin Frost is a short-track speed skater.

No big deal.

Thing is, Kevin Frost can't see. Or hear.

Think that prevents his competing against other athletes? Think again.

How does he manage? Simple. He skates to the front of the pack -- and stays there.

In March of 2002, Mr. Frost, a long-time hockey referee, was diagnosed with Usher's Syndrome, which affects hearing and sight. The condition causes retinitis pigmentosa, which impairs vision.

As a referee, he was used to people suggesting his vision was less than perfect. But that too common barb took on a more serious meaning when he began having trouble driving at night, started tripping over his children's toys and knocking items off tables.

Already hard of hearing since childhood, Mr. Frost was left with just 8 per cent of his vision. He couldn't continue working in the warehouse of a grocery store chain where he had been for 16 years.

And his refereeing days were over.

"Refereeing was one of the highlights of my life," said Mr. Frost, 37. "I had a special talent on the ice for dealing with angry hockey players. But that was taken away from me.

"When I was diagnosed, I just kind of fell to the ground and said 'why?' "

It was then that he began searching for something to fill the suddenly empty hours he had, something to take his mind off his disability and keep him from becoming depressed.

His wife, Kim, mentioned that she knew a speed-skating coach named Ron Guerard who might show him how to put his skating skills to use.

"A couple of months later, we ran into him and he came up and introduced himself and said, 'I'd like to help you out if you're interested in speed skating,' " Mr. Frost said. "We started joking and I said, whatever. So September rolled around and he called me up and said 'are you ready?' I said 'okay, let's go.' "

Today, Mr. Frost, father of three young children and legally blind and deaf, spends his days trying to complete the conversion from stops and starts up and down a hockey rink, to the smooth, efficient laps of a speed skater.

Competing in the master's division this season, he's captured two silver medals and a fifth-place finish in meets across Ontario. But he's still learning.

"When I went to try it, Ron said 'Kevin, it's a different style. Speed skating and hockey skating are two different techniques,' " Mr. Frost said. "Through the patience of my coach and me being impatient, we weaned out a lot of ruts on short and long track just to learn the technique and style. Despite the short time that I've competed, I've come a long way in a short amount of time."

Now in his third season of skating, Mr. Frost has lowered his time to 56 seconds in the 500 metres from 1 minute 18 seconds just a year ago. Most of his events are short track, although he plans to compete in long-track events in the new year.

How does Mr. Frost battle other skaters as he whizzes around a track?

Meet organizers have accommodated him by switching to orange cones from black in corners, and by using a red flag instead of a bell to signal the final lap. But there are times he simply can't take the same chances during a race as his competitors.

"What can I see when I'm on the ice?" he said. "Whatever's in front of me in my tunnel vision. If they are beside or behind me I don't hear or see them until they pass me. I learn every meet and everyone I skate with, they all try to help. But I tell them I want to be treated just like them."

To that end, Mr. Frost almost beams with pride when telling how he has been disqualified twice for skating outside the course. His strategy, therefore, is to try to get to the front of a race as fast as possible and then try to maintain that position for as long as he can.

Mr. Guerard said: "He was having problems in the corners, so I said, 'Kevin, you've got your starts down, get in first place and then all you have to worry about is the blocks. And if there's someone in front of you, follow him because he's a top skater.' "

Although the winter Paralympic Games include events for visually impaired athletes, speed skating is not one of them. That's why Mr. Frost has no choice but to compete against athletes who aren't disabled.

Most, he says, have been gracious about lining up against someone whose disabilities often attract more attention than the exploits of other racers. Only a few have not.

"There's been a little bit of sarcasm or jealousy," Mr. Frost said. "But when they get to know me and see what I do, they're there to help me. When they see the true colours, they're very supportive."

To illustrate what he sees, Mr. Frost carries a pair of opaque glasses with a pinhole in each eye. A pair of earmuffs is offered to those who want to experience what he hears.

"Every meet I go to," Mr. Frost said, "I always do a presentation because I want to appreciate them for including me in a sport where it's hard for disabled people to compete with able-bodied people."

At 37, Mr. Frost's age is perhaps his greatest impediment to reaching the heights of his sport. But his goals have as much to do with his family and inspiring those with disabilities who may otherwise doubt what they can accomplish.

"I want to give back," he said. "I know there are other disabled people who don't have the willpower to go out and look for help. So maybe if I can be an inspiration to them they'll say 'hey, if he can do it, I can do it.' "