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Meet Adaptive Athlete: Octavius Young

 

 

MSG OCTAVIUS YOUNG

US ARMY, RET.

 

DOB: April 18th, 1972

DOI: December 18th, 2013

PATHOLOGY: Neurological

23 Octavius Young Headshot

Master Sergeant (Ret.) Octavious Young grew up as an athlete in Houston, TX. As a kid, he excelled in basketball and track, and went on to Louisiana State University to compete for the track and field program in the 110m hurdles and triple jump. Octavious also served with the ROTC and earned his Bachelor's degree in Business. 

 

Upon graduating from LSU, Octavius enlisted in the Navy, where he served for six years. He then made the switch over to the Army where he served for the rest of his 25 year career. Throughout his service, his goal was to always have a positive influence on those around him. Octavius enjoyed his time serving his country. 

 

In December of 2013, while on his last deployment before retirement, Octavius was out on a mission when he was hit with an IED blast, throwing him upside down into a wall, compressing his neck, severing the nerve in his elbow, and leaving him with multiple broken bones. After undergoing a cervical fusion and surgeries to repair his elbow, Octavius spent the year unable to walk, with a lot of time to reflect. 

 

As part of his recovery, he wanted to get back to something he’s always loved: sports. He has taken up many sports from bicycling to scuba diving, table tennis to archery. Although he has lost most function in his dominant hand, he believes that losing something has helped him gain much more. 

 

His drive to continually better himself will fuel his time at ATF. Octavius is excited for the opportunity to round himself out as a whole athlete. He wants to improve in many aspects including sharpening his mind, making physical gains, and learning about nourishing his body. Overall, he’s hoping this transformation will carry over into future archery competitions.

 

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