Wow have I had a busy two weeks, orders are coming in a good pace and Cincinnati is coming up in a little over a month. With the number of orders coming in and the time spent training I have found myself with a lot of time to think. Thinking about how I got to this point. Where the drive comes from, looking at the mistakes I’ve made and learning from them. Most of you know me as the guy who sells cookies to support his fencing habit, with the dream of someday making the United States Paralympic team. What you don’t know is the story of the man behind the dream.
I grew up in Hilliard Ohio, a suburb of Columbus living in a decidedly middle-class household. Both my father and mother worked, so for the most part you could say I had a pretty normal childhood, normal except for a few notable exceptions.
My parents wanted me to be as prepared for live in the “able bodied” world as I could be, to that end I was enrolled at the local Easter Seals Rehabilitation center, Easter Seals provides disabled children with many services including Physical and Occupational therapy and assistance with the acquisition of wheelchairs, crutches and other items like that. Easter Seals is a nonprofit organization that receives its funding from private donations, much of this received during its yearly telethon. In 1982 I was chosen to become the Easter Seals poster child. As poster child you are the public face, the cute kid who meets and greets the people and asks them to do what they can to help. I met with the movers and shakers of the area, and did what I could to help those who helped me.
Following my time at the Easter Seals center it was time to enter school, Catholic School at that! I attended catholic school until 3rd grade when I was enrolled in public school. Elementary School was always hard for me, not academically but socially, I had friends and I did what I could to fit in, I was on a Tee-Ball team, and tried to be Mr. Normal. It was during this time I started swimming competitively, and then participated in wheelchair road racing. I wanted to be like my other friends. A jock
This drive stuck with me into middle school and high school. Many of my friends were on the football team so I decided I wanted to be a part of the action, I approached the coach of the football team and asked to have some part, of course I was allowed to be water boy. So there I was on the sidelines in my over sized football jersey, but I was part of the team. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, and being part of something but it never felt quite satisfying. Football season came and went and wrestling started, and so I joined that, this time I was not allowed to sit on the sidelines. My Middle wrestling coach decided that I would be more than a water boy, I would wrestle!
My wrestling career spanned 8th grade until my junior year in high school I managed to not win a single match during that entire span, but I kept trying. My wrestling career ended in my junior year when I was injured during a match, and before you ask I was already disabled before the incident. Yeah I know I am nuts, but all I wanted was to be a normal kid.
There is a lot more after all there are many years still to cover and other things that were going on besides sports, a lot more trust me. Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings stay tuned for more insight into what makes me tick.
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