‘I want every kid out there to know they can live out their dreams. If I’m doing it, why can’t you?’ says the Leafs forward and Breakthrough T1D Canada ambassador

NHL forward Max Domi has spent years battling type 1 diabetes while competing at hockey’s highest level.

On Monday, he brought that same determination to Aurora, launching his inaugural Max Domi Golf Classic with an ambitious goal: raise $1 million to help accelerate research and improve the lives of people living with the disease.

Held at Domi’s personal favourite, Magna Golf Club, the sold-out tournament united NHL stars, business leaders and supporters in aid of Breakthrough T1D Canada. The fundraiser supports research into new treatments and technologies while pushing toward what Domi hopes will one day be a cure.

For Domi, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 12, the event was about much more than golf.

“I’ve always taken pride in making it more about me than my career,” Domi said. “It’s about the people that I represent, which is the type 1 community. I want to give as many kids out there and families hope that you can still achieve your dreams despite having type 1.”

The inspiration dates back to his childhood meeting with Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke, who also lives with type 1 diabetes.

“He gave me hope that if he can do it, so can I,” Domi said. “I always told myself that if I was lucky enough to make it to the NHL, I wanted to do even a fraction of what he did for me.”

That promise has grown into the Max Domi Fund, established with Breakthrough T1D Canada in 2019, and now the inaugural golf classic.

Diagnosed before his teenage years, Domi said living with type 1 diabetes requires constant vigilance.

“It’s a full-time job,” he said. “It requires 24/7 monitoring. Your glucose is always fluctuating, so you’re trying to keep it in range. There are serious dangers on both sides.”

Yet the disease has also shaped his outlook.

“It taught me more than anything else in life about battling adversity,” Domi said. “I was fortunate enough to learn that it can actually be a superpower if you treat it that way.”

Breakthrough T1D Canada president and CEO Jessica Diniz said Domi has become far more than a celebrity ambassador during his nine years with the organization.

“People may know him as an NHL player, but those who meet him experience something more,” she said. “It’s his generosity, authenticity and the way he connects with people that truly sets him apart.”

Diniz explained that type 1 diabetes differs significantly from the more common type 2 diabetes.

“It’s an autoimmune disease. You did nothing to get it. It’s not diet or lifestyle,” she said. “Your immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells, so you require insulin every single day just to stay alive.”

She noted the burden extends beyond the individual.

“I always say it’s the whole family that has type 1,” Diniz said. “Parents are waking up at three in the morning to check blood sugars. Siblings are affected too. It’s a disease the entire family lives with.”

Canada remains at the forefront of diabetes research, she added, with Breakthrough T1D currently funding 75 research projects across the country while co-ordinating hundreds more globally.

“We fund the best researchers wherever they are,” Diniz said. “Then we bring them together so discoveries are shared instead of happening in isolation.”

The tournament also showcased the hockey community’s support, with Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Easton Cowan, Stephen Lorentz, New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat, Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson and other NHL players joining the event.

During opening remarks, Domi thanked the players, volunteers and sponsors for helping turn an idea delayed by the pandemic into reality.

“We had a goal of raising a million bucks,” he told participants. “We’re inching our way closer.”

Although organizers were still counting donations, Domi said the response had exceeded expectations.

“We’re just getting started in terms of raising money,” he said. “I’m so grateful and appreciative of everyone who showed up.”

The day also carried personal significance as Domi continues recovering from an undisclosed health issue.

“I’m doing well. I’m getting better every day,” he said. “There’s a long way to go, but I’m feeling good. I’ve just got to keep putting the work in.”

For Domi, however, the tournament’s lasting impact will be measured not only in dollars raised but in hope offered to children newly diagnosed with the disease.

“I want every kid out there to know they can live out their dreams,” he said. “If I’m doing it, why can’t you?”