MEET
ETHAN PEDNAULT

HIS STORY

Ethan became HTGR's first grantee recipient in late 2021 after he was tragically shot in a drive-by shooting in the west end of Ottawa. Ethan was hit in the femoral artery and was left with significant damage to both his nerves and leg after the incident. 

Ethan was simply caught in the "wrong place, at the wrong time". While sitting in a friends backyard enjoying some down time and watching Netflix, a car pulled up and opened fire on the house. Unfortunately, Ethan was caught in the crossfire. It has been confirmed by investigators that the shooters simply hit the wrong location. 

Ethan could have been angry at the world. Nobody would have blamed him for that. Instead he decided to use his new views on life to fuel his recovery and become an even more well rounded individual than before. 

Thanks to the team at Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sports clinic (massive shout-outs to James Anderson, Peter Wade and Francois Duquette (pictured on the left)), Ethan has been able to make a tremendous recovery. His consistent tenacity in the gym sets him apart from the 99% of the population, and is helping him surpass all outside expectations for his recovery. 

He has since returned to school to finish his undergraduate degree in Chemistry. He has also returned to a variety of activities including: skiing, hockey and weight lifting. He now can squat over 300 Pounds. Not bad for a man who was shot in the artery just 2 years ago. ​

"Working with Ethan made all of the hours I spent growing HTGR worth it. What most people don't realize, is that Ethan and I are actually from the same small area of Ottawa. We were roughly the same age when our shootings took place, and we went through a lot of the same struggles. Although Ethan probably doesn't realize it, he motivated me a lot in his recovery. I am excited to see what he is able to accomplish in the future and am proud to have had the chance to be a part of his story." - Brandon Peacock