Monday, May 7, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 5
Disabled athletes set example for average, lazy Americans
Yesterday morning I crawled from my bed on the first floor of K. A. Amini Scholarship Hall just after 10 a.m.
Still reeling from a raucous night of partying with my scholarship hall buddies, I felt like I had been run over by a two-ton dump truck.
After arriving a half-hour late to church, I spent the rest of the day eating, which, in case you couldn't tell from my picture, is something I really enjoy doing. I watched The Brady Bunch Movie, sprawled out on the couch and slept for two hours. When I woke up, I ate some more. A pretty good day, if you ask me.
But then a thought occurred to me. Perhaps I'm not meeting my full potential in life.
Then another thought hit me and a voice inside my head said,
"Brandon, when was the last time your lazy butt went for a run?"
The answer, of course, is never. Not one time in my entire life have I ever gone for a run. And while occasionally I trot around the bases during slow-pitch softball games, the painful truth is most normal people can walk faster than I "run."
Curious as to why these thoughts of worthlessness kept entering my mind, I racked my brain for answers. Then I remembered.
On Saturday I had gone to the Mid-America Games for the Disabled at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park. While there, I watched people with an assortment of disabilities compete in various athletic events. One of the athletes, Jeremy Burleson, a 25-year old
Sports Columnist
Brandon Stinnett
sports@kansan.com
native of St. Joseph, Mo., is among the world's top athletes. Last year, he placed fourth in the pentathlon at the Paralympics in Sydney, Australia.
Burleson can run the 100 meters in just more than 12 seconds. On Saturday, he set a new personal record, running the event in 12.13 seconds, pretty amazing considering that he has just one leg (Heck, it takes me 12 seconds just to move from my couch to the bathroom).
Six years ago, Burleson, then a member of the United States Marine Corps, was injured when the truck he was riding in flipped over and landed on his right leg.
Doctors said they could save the leg by performing reconstructive surgery, but Burleson never would be able to run again. Instead of having the surgery that would have ensured that he could one day walk on his own two feet, Burleson opted to have his right leg amputated below his knee. Running was the one thing he couldn't live without.
"I just like to run to relax at the end of the day, to let all the stresses out," he said.
So doctors removed the leg and three months later, Burleson started training.
As if his athletic accomplishments weren't enough, Burleson is using is influence to help children with disabilities. He travels to middle schools in the Kansas City area and teaches youth the importance of meeting life's challenges with a positive attitude. Later this month he will speak at the national convention for the Amputee Coalition of America.
"Itry to help people out whenever I get the opportunity," he said. "I love to talk to kids."
In December he'll graduate with a psychology degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. From there, he's headed to Northwestern University to study prosthetics so he can help others similar to him.
And then, there's me.
As I type on my keyboard and shovel M&M's into my mouth, I can't help but think that life is more than what I've made of it.
Maybe I should run. Maybe I should work out, get in shape. I could volunteer at a homeless shelter or pick up trash along 23rd Street. Jeremy Burleson is an inspiration. But he's also a wake-up call. I should stretch myself to do more. Strive to help others. Make myself useful.
Will I do it? Who knows? The Brady Bunch Movie is pretty funny and I do like to sleep. But I do know that if there were more Jeremy Burleson's in the world, we'd be better off for it.
Stinnett is a Shawnee junior in journalism.
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