Retired astronaut Dave Williams continues to live life by defying limits – Montreal Gazette

Retired astronaut, aquanaut, emergency physician, pilot, CEO, public speaker, husband, father and author Dave Williams has been defying limits since he was hit by a car while riding his bike to school in Beaconsfield. He was in Grade 5 at the time and walked away without serious injury.

Williams grew up to become a record-breaking astronaut, completing two space missions and in the process becoming the first Canadian to complete three space walks, spending a total of 17 hours and 47 minutes executing complex tasks while hovering in space with only an ankle attachment preventing him from floating away.

On Sunday, Oct. 27, Williams comes to the Hudson Community Centre as part of the literary event Storyfest to talk about his book Defying Limits: Lessons from the Edge of the Universe (Simon and Schuster) and to read one of his childrens books at StoryFest for Kids.

Astronaut Dave Williams cuts a ribbon at the entrance to the science wing at Beaconsfield High School in Beaconsfield in 2012.Phil Carpenter / The Gazette

Williams was born in Saskatoon, Sask. and raised in Beaconsfield. His wife Cathy Fraser, a pilot for Air Canada, grew up in Pointe-Claire. They have three children, Evan, Olivia and Theo and now live in Oakville, Ont.

Willams spoke with the West Island Gazette about his life on planet earth and beyond.

Answers have been edited for space.

Q: Your medical studies and research and your astronaut/aquanaut training and execution required intense focus. Is that something you were born with?

A: No, I wasnt born with it. I learned how to focus by riding a motorcycle. Your situational awareness and judgment are critical. Make a mistake and you will not survive. And I learned how to fly in my twenties. That clearly demands critical focus. And when I was studying medicine, I would go to the library at 8 a.m. on Saturday and study until 6 p.m. For me, focus is about the willingness to put in whatever work was necessary to achieve my dreams.

Q: You are no stranger to defying limits. You survived being thrown from a military truck as a teen. A degenerative condition of the retina almost derailed your first space mission. Prostate cancer almost derailed your second space mission. And in 2003, the space shuttle Columbia exploded during re-entry, killing seven close friends. How did you move through all this?

A: Some say happiness is the most important thing in life. I dont agree. The most important thing to me is meaning. And you learn that through adversity. When you find meaning, your life is richer and fuller.

Q: What advances in space travel do you envision?

A: I think astronauts will be sent back to the moon by 2025. And hopefully, by the 100th anniversary of space travel, we will have humans on Mars.

Q: What role does human emotion play in the world of medicine and space travel?

A: Humans are emotional beings, but in a harsh environment, emotion must be handled. Lifting off into space is not natural. There is risk. Courage comes with the doing. I tend to experience the fear before and after the event. And humour is important. During my second space walk I was handling a 650 kilogram gyroscope. It was right in front of my face. Right in the middle of my task, I hear in my headset Hows the view?

Q: Your parents played an important role in encouraging your interests as a child. How did you and your wife help nurture your childrens interests and what are they doing today?

A: We didnt point them in the same directions we took (doctor/astronaut and pilot). Instead, we exposed them to a breadth of activities and let their interests evolve. Evan is 25. He was born with special needs. He is remarkable. He completed a volunteer police officer training program and hes busy with track and yoga. Olivia is 22. She has her pilots license and is studying neuroscience at the University of Guelph, so I guess the apple doesnt fall far from the tree. Theo is 16 and is finishing high school. Hes interested in political science.

Q: You wrote four childrens books to help engage childrens love of science. And then you wrote your autobiography Defying Limits. How does the challenge of writing books compare to your medical and space challenges?

A: I remember being so proud sending off the first five chapters of Defying Limits to Simon and Schuster in New York. Then the editor got back to me saying, its not an academic treatise. I had to find my voice. Ive learned a lot.

Williams is not the type to retire. He is currently working as an aerospace consultant, is on the speaker circuit, is involved in space medicine research and continues to hone his flying skills. This month the University of Western Ontario inaugurated the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. Williams is the inaugural chair of Western Spaces Advisory Council.

The literary event Storyfest is presented by the Greenwood Centre for Living History. Dave Williams is at the Hudson Community Centre, 394 Main Rd., for StoryFest for Kids, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. Donations are welcome. He speaks about Defying Limits at the same location, same day, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20. For information, visit http://www.greenwoodstoryfest.com.

kgreenaway@postmedia.com

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Retired astronaut Dave Williams continues to live life by defying limits - Montreal Gazette