On May 12, 2006, Donnellan walked onto a tumbling mat at Tucson’s Gymnastics World and did a single front flip, a move he’d done daily for seven years.
But that day, the 16-year-old Salpointe Catholic High School sophomore over-rotated and, in less time than it takes to give your best friend a high-five, fractured two vertebrae and damaged his spinal cord. …
Today Drew is age-18, a freshman at the University of Arizona.
The Tuscon Citizen posted a major article on Drew’s life after the accident:
Life at college has been an adjustment, but mostly in a good way, he said. He learned how to operate the elevator controls, something he couldn’t do before, and he loves being away from regimented high school schedules.
He doesn’t really have a social life yet, but is considering joining a Methodist campus ministry at UA and possibly the UA Adaptive Athletics quad-rugby team.
“I’ve pushed a quad chair,” he said. “I’m not very fast, but I can push it. I think it might be fun.”
read the entire article – Paralyzed gymnast’s promise: No self-pity
Hang in there Drew. We are cheering for you.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 