Disability No Barrier For Gaither Athlete

TAMPA - Gaither High sophomore Casey Garber says he's not trying to prove anything by competing in track and field for the Cowboys. Yes, he has cerebral palsy and has dealt with its debilitating effects all his life. But the main reasons he came out for the track team - as well as other sports teams at Gaither - are simple ones.

"It's a good way to make friends," Garber said. "And it's better than sitting at home."

Garber's cerebral palsy is the result of being born 10 weeks premature. His CP is considered mild, but all forms of CP result in abnormal motor development, coordination, muscle tone, reflexes and posture. CP is a non-progressive disorder - meaning it does not worsen over time - and addressing it early with physical and occupational therapy can help reduce some of its debilitating effects.

For much of his 15 years in this world, Garber has aggressively treated his disorder. His father, Craig Garber, says his son has done that participating in all types of sports and not sitting around wallowing in self-pity.

"He's always been active," Craig Garber said. "He doesn't think about his condition as something that limits what he can do."

In fact, Casey says his condition usually doesn't come up in conversation unless someone else talks about it first.

"His mind-set is there's nothing wrong with him - and that's a good thing," says his mother, Anne Garber. "He doesn't care about it. He just goes out and does what he wants to do."

And Casey does just about everything a normal teenager does, including some of the things that scare most parents - like drive a car. He turns 16 in less than a month, and if he passes the test, he can drive himself to all these practices he has been attending since he began his sophomore year.

Garber began with Gaither's swim team last fall, then moved on to wrestling in the winter, where he competed in the 103-pound weight class. Most recently, he began running on Coach Bill Jenkins' Cowboys track and field squad with his older brother, Nick, a senior.

"I remember seeing him running with the wrestling team, just plugging along, plugging along," Jenkins said. "When he first came out for track, instead of being uncomfortable and wondering, I just said 'Tell me what's wrong with your legs.' Without any hesitation, he told me, sort of matter-of-fact. He said he just wanted to run distance with us and be part of the team with his brother."

In the season-opening Nash Higgins Relays, Casey competed in his first race, just 10 days after joining the Cowboys' track team. His debut came in the freshman/sophomore mile run.

In those four laps around Leto's hard, unforgiving asphalt track, Garber's CP was obvious. His legs just don't go as fast or in the direction that his mind tells them to. Often, his stride length is limited. But Garber's courage is clearly boundless. He might have finished last in the field of more than 40 runners, but he received the day's biggest cheer when he sprinted to the finish line and recorded a time of 7 minutes, 18 seconds.

He hopes to go 6:30 soon and sub-6 minutes before the season ends. He knows he has physical limitations, but that's not important to Garber.

"I'd be a lot faster if I was normal, but I don't let it bother me," Garber said. "Being out here with my brother, meeting new people and having fun, that's the stuff important to me.

Reporter Bill Ward can be

reached at (813) 259-7456

or wward@tampatrib.com.