Tri-ing in the Face of Challenge: Discovering possibility after paralysis

When Zach Young’s dad handed him an entry form for a triathlon 10 years ago, Young didn’t know it would be the catalyst for pushing himself outside of his comfort zone in many areas, changing the trajectory of his life. It was the first competition Young competed in as a para-athlete, and he had three weeks to learn to swim with pool buoys attached to his legs. In addition to swimming during the competition, he rode his handcycle for the bike portion of the race and used a regular wheelchair for the run portion. In his last mile, he says he felt the exhilaration of what was possible, what he could expect of himself moving forward, doing things he had thought he could no longer do.

At age 21, Young was in an accident that forever changed his life. Riding to work on his motorcycle on a beautiful fall morning, he was one and a half blocks from his home when a woman at a two-way stop in Jackson didn’t see him. He slammed helmet-first into her car and then his back tire came up, creating a domino effect and splitting his spine. He was still conscious but couldn’t feel his legs, and he couldn’t breathe because a couple of his ribs had punctured his lungs.

Young says he has vivid memories of his thoughts immediately after the impact, lying on the ground, wondering if he was dying and wondering what came next, then saying the Lord’s Prayer. He says he is grateful for the first responders who did everything right for a spinal cord injury.

The day after the accident, Young had surgery, and two titanium rods were inserted to stabilize his spine. He was told he had a 99.5% chance he would never walk again.

He spent two weeks in the ICU and then another two weeks in a hospital bed. After that, he was sent to Missouri Rehab Center. The first thing they did was get him in a wheelchair.

“It was like a boot camp,” Young says, “but safe and structured. They set you up in your own room with your own kitchen to help get you to live your life.”

He stayed at the rehab center for a month and was then happy to go home. However, after approximately a week back at home, he began to realize how much his life had changed. He lived in a multilevel home, so he says he basically lived in the dining room, as he couldn’t access other parts of the house.

Young says he spent the next three years feeling sorry for himself. Prior to the accident, he had graduated from the Marine Mechanics Institute but could no longer do this type of work. He had been an athlete, racing BMX nationally as a teenager, and he was fit — he had even had eight-pack abs. He was still angry at the woman who had caused the accident, and he could not forgive her. He was depressed, on medication, with no direction. His sister kept at him, though, and he says, “she eventually drug me to a church service,” where something clicked. He forgave the woman, his first step toward a future filled with accomplishments.

At age 25, Young started at Southeast Missouri State University, studying technology management. He began lifting weights at the SEMO rec center, where he met Red Redinger, assistant director of facilities, who told him about triathlons. Young began watching YouTube videos of people doing sports in wheelchairs. This new awareness of what was possible inspired him. Bud Abernathy, a Korean War veteran, donated money, and Cape Bicycle got Young his first handcycle at cost.

“I felt like a kid again,” Young recalls.

The bike weighed 65 pounds, and Young lived in a valley between two hills. It took him a month to build the strength to get out of the neighborhood. Two months after that, he rode 15 miles in Tour de Cape.

After that first triathlon, Young continued racing. To date, he has raced more than 100 triathlons, four half-marathons and tons of other races, competing all over the world. He says his most memorable race was Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, because this was the first time he made podium in an international race.

Throughout, Young’s dad was his biggest cheerleader, encouraging him and pushing him to reach his full potential. Even though his dad passed away two years ago, Young is still motivated by his dad’s confidence and faith in him, and he strives to be that motivating force for others, through sports and his work with Codefi as a coding camp instructor.

“The No. 1 thing is to try things you thought you couldn’t do,” he says. “Try something new.”

Hear Zach tell his story in his own words at the Survivor Stories event Thursday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. at One City, presented by Ramsey Branch Retirement Community and Cape Family Medical. Reserve your complimentary ticket at https://2021survivorseries.eventbrite.com, or watch online — no ticket needed — at https://www.facebook.com/semissourian.