Followay’s drive and persistence take him to Pan-Am Games

Followay’s drive and persistence take him to Pan-Am Games
Dave Mast

Not that long ago Casey Followay was a shy kid who doubted himself. However, a friendship blossomed with his mentor and friend Jonathan Mize, who inspired him to get into adaptive sports. It has been full steam ahead ever since, including his championship days and record-setting state performances while at Wooster High School.

                        

Wayne County native Casey Followay recently received news that he has been selected to participate for Team USA in the 2019 Para-Pan American Track and Field Games in Lima, Peru from Aug. 23 to Sept. 1.

“I am truly honored to be given this opportunity,” Followay said. “This has been a dream of mine for many years, and it’s hard to believe that it is now a reality.”

Followay has competed in many different races, but as he advanced and the competition got better and better, he began honing his skills on his specialty, the 100 meters.

“I was a born sprinter,” he said.

Followay will represent the United States of America in the 100 meters at the Pan-Am games, and watching video of recent races shows why he is in the hunt for a medal, not that he can’t go distances. Last year he competed in the Columbus Half Marathon, and all he did was go out and win it.

While Followay has competed outside of the U.S. in Canada, this marks his first venture outside of North America. In order to acclimate to his surroundings, he will leave for the Pan-Am games Aug. 19.

This marks another accomplishment for him in his career as an adaptive athlete. While it is a major step in his career arc, he has more on the wish list. The big one included competing for Team USA in the Paralympics. Reaching this plateau is a big step in the right direction as he seeks to conquer that goal, just like he has done his whole life.

“It’s a dream come true for me, but I have a lot of work to do before I get to where I want to be,” Followay said. “I’m not to the level where I want to be yet, but this is a big step.”

It wasn’t always easy for him. At one point he was extremely quiet. However, he had two supporters and encouragers in his parents, Brett and Lisa Followay, who firmly believed in him even when he didn’t believe in himself.

His mother said the biggest jolt of confidence he got was when he began a mentorship process with Jonathan Mize, the man responsible for encouraging him to work toward the goal of becoming a confident wheeled athlete. She noted that his desire to be an example for others was because he had a mentor in Mize.

“Before he was introduced to adaptive sports, he struggled with where he fit in,” Lisa Followay said. “Jonathan was life-changing for Casey because he gave him purpose and helped him understand that he could still do the things he wanted to do. That was very powerful for me to see that relationship grow.”

“He became my very first friend with a physical impairment, and he was an inspiration,” Followay said of Mize.

He said Mize gave him a sense of belonging, hope and purpose he didn’t possess prior to their friendship.

Casey Followay’s faith helped give a reason to step into something new. His desire to compete gave him the work ethic. His new friendship with his new mentor gave him the courage.

Mize was injured in a motocross accident, flipping over the handle bars and becoming paralyzed.

“Jonathan was one of the very first people I was introduced to with a disability,” Casey Followay said. “When I met Jonathan, my outlook on life totally changed. For the first eight years of my life, I struggled socially, and it affected my emotional state. I always asked the question, ‘Why me? Why was I born with spina bifida?’ I struggled with the fact that I was different than everyone else.”

When he was introduced to Mize, who in turn introduced him to adaptive sports, his whole outlook on life changed. Since then he has been a shining example for physically challenged people who might be facing their own struggles.

“People can accomplish the things they want. It might just be in a different way,” Casey Followay said.

In finding his own confidence and his own voice, Casey Followay has made good on another one of his goals, which is to become a mentor and an inspiration to other wheeled athletes, and also to every young person who aspires to be something more.

“For me it’s not all about being one of the top athletes. I wasn’t raised to be like that,” Casey Followay said. “It’s about showing people that they can accomplish things even though they have challenges in life. I’ve always wanted to be that person to show people that they can accomplish things like being a top athlete in the country.”

Casey Followay’s rise began in 2005. Since then he has become a force in the sport, excelling in the sprints. In just his third track meet of his career, he set a national record in the 60-meter dash at the 2006 National Junior Disability Championships.

With success came more confidence, not just on the track, but also off of it. He found himself becoming a pioneer of the sport as the first student-athlete in the state of Ohio to join a school’s track team and used a racing wheelchair in 2009.

His success continued throughout high school, where he represented Wooster High School and became a seven-time high school state champion and record holder from 2013-15. That would have been enough for some, but not for Casey Followay, who had now turned his attention to bigger things. That came with the announcement of the 2019 Para-Pan American Track and Field Games.

Now Casey Followay’s days are filled with workouts, whether on the track or out on the road. He lifts weights, conditions, eats right and trains diligently, looking forward to his upcoming trip. He said having a support system around him is what continues to drive him forward.

“I have the honor and privilege of competing internationally on behalf of my country,” Casey Followay said. “I look forward to seeing where the future of my career leads.”


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