Narrative

It was at that exact moment that not only was a legacy fulfilled but a tradition was born in the midst of it all as I sat in my chair in front of that podium hoisting the glorious medal shining in the sunlight. Whoa whoa…..what? confused right? Good then im doing this right…thanks first of all for reading this and hope you enjoy it. To understand what you just read let me start off first by asking all the readers a question. How many of you at some time in your life have been told you cant do something? A lot of you im sure. Whether its being told that you cant play a sport with your friends cause your not good. Or that you cant ride that awesome roller coaster because your too short (don’t ya hate that one). now think about this what if you were told you could never WALK? Sounds pretty scary right? Welcome to my life….thus the story of my life would begin being born with a disability known as spina bifida a spinal cord deficiency when I was young was told I would never walk a step. Months and months of therapy to correct that problem and prove all the doubters wrong….I DID! At the age of 19 now looking back that simple sentence….”you will never walk” seems oh so wrong. In the 19 years I have been alive I have walked, ran, participated in after school activities such as band and many in school clubs especially during my senior year…arguably my best school year to date. But none of that compared to the extreme phenomenon of sports in my life.

      Being that I was told I would never walk most people like me would probably take that as an insult or as a challenge..which I did and thus set my goal to do oh so much more…and I have done just that in the last 10 years I have played a variety of sports…from wheelchair basketball to baseball to the sport that would become a part of my legacy....wheelchair track. throughout the years I have played sports their have always been trophies and awards and such but last years season of wheelchair track was by far the best award I have ever received. in all the years I have been in school playing for a high school sports team was one of the last things I would ever do. this is senior year,The year that every student knows is their last chance to make an impact...make a statement on their school and for their school...and my statement..is one for the history books...literally.

Now as it stood in Ohio there was no sports that were heard of that were handicap accessible, now sure every handicap that was capable of playing a sport had a shot the odds of them making the team and getting a shot to play was slim to none. that is until this past year...outside of school there are plenty of handicapped sports I named a few earlier and now it was time for them to make it into the high school scene. first up was to be wheelchair track and I was not going to miss this chance so when our track head coach came to me with this opportunity...I couldn't resist. fast forward to the start of the season...little practice time for me
and complications with my wheelchair seemed to be the entire story of my seasons. another was racing no one else but myself. now to save you time in reading lets fast forward through my season and shrink it down a bit. throughout  out the season wheelchair problems occurred...fought through those...raced against able bodied...fought as hard as I could against them.

after all the fighting, clawing and scratch my way to my goal...state meet, the holy grail and the promised land. as I pushed my chair to OSU I rolled onto that track field and the sight was both overwhelming and humbling...the sun shining down on the world thousands of people in attendance watching and the athletes ready to make history...but none of them more ready to make history more than me and my now friends we're more than ready to make the history of the night. the first ever...wheelchair track state track meet. as the night went on winners were born and then it was our turn..my training and practice came down to this. my first race consisted of two heats the one I was in and then another one after us...I the winner of my heat my heart thumping high in my chest as my first record was born and though I finished 7th total. I will never forget that record. as the night went on two 6th place finishes making a statement for my season In my races. but it would not end that way as my best event was upon us...shot put. my promised land of hope. it paid off...as I get into position get into my form and launch that shot put into a 3rd place finish. I sit on that podium

It was at that exact moment that not only was a legacy fulfilled but a tradition was born in the midst of it all as I sat in my chair in front of that podium hoisting the glorious medal shining in the sunlight. that I knew...I was apart of history...and could have not been more proud.