A remarkable story of perseverance

I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman by the name of Chad Porter years ago while doing some work at the Wilmington Convention Center down here in southeastern North Carolina. He had come to speak to the staff about his life experiences.

Porter was 15 when he was run over by a boat while competitively water skiing. The story was gnarly and I’ll save you the graphic details we heard, but know that surviving what he did is an accomplishment all by itself.

Choosing to not only overcome, but use those experiences in an attempt to find personal success and inspire others, is special. He chose all of the above and has become a professional - and busy - motivational speaker.

I think of Chad Porter and his unrecovered left foot every time I pass Tucker Lake when driving on highway 40 south of Raleigh. I thought of him again last week when I heard about a fella named Parker Byrd, a sophomore at East Carolina University and a member of their baseball team.

Byrd was high school graduate and nationally ranked baseball player when his right leg was badly cut by a boat propeller while tubing and ultimately required amputation below the knee. Thot could have been a dream killer and would have been a dream killer for most people.

Not for Parker Byrd. He underwent a plethora of surgeries and seemingly refused to give up on his goal to play college baseball.

Apparently combining dreams and unrelenting effort is a solid recipe for extraordinary accomplishments. Last week, in the bottom of the eighth inning against Rider University, Byrd took to bat as a designated hitter for the Pirates.

He came out to thunderous applause and became the first person to play Division One baseball with a prosthetic leg. He got on base too, being patient and forcing the walk.

When he walked across that stage in Laurinburg at Scotland High’s graduation in 2022, I doubt standing on first base in a college game was not what success looked like for a guy ranked as a top 100 prep shortstop prospect. I imagine it was expected… something that might be cool for a minute, the first time it happened.

Life threw him a curveball, pun intended. Byrd was patient and got on base anyway.

I can’t help but recognize that life has thrown curveballs at all of us and our goals at some point or another. Any of us have more to overcome than Parker Byrd?

David Friedman is a long time sports writer, columnist and lifelong Tar Heel fan. He and his son currently reside in Wilmington. David can be reached via e-mail at fourthandlongcolumn@gmail.com