Barwis and Mealer - Detroit News
There is a nice ARTICLE from Angelique Chengelis in today's Detroit News regarding the continuing relationship between Brock Mealer and Mike Barwis. The whole article is worth a read, but here's a choice quote from Barwis to whet your appetite:
“I’ve got 24 rings and I’ve worked with 44 sporting events and 500 Olympic and pro athletes,” said Barwis, whose facility is the focus of a Discovery Channel sports docu-series, “American Muscle,” that debuts Wednesday. “I will tell you this, I don’t have one moment in my life in athletics that ever even remotely approached the moment of glory I felt when that kid walked.”
Not much that's really news here, but not many of us get tired of this particular story.
Still an inspiring, amazing story. Thanks for posting.
Not much that's really news here,
Oh? I thought the possibility of Barwis being able to use the methods he learned on Brock to teach other paralysis victims to walk as well was potentially earthshattering. This is something that a lot of people have tried and failed to do.
I assumed OP meant to say "not much that's really NEW here..." as this is a story most of us have heard many times before, although I was clearly proven wrong by the response below. But yes, always inspiring, even the 20th time.
There have been a number of recent articles, and it really has been going on since Mealer.
If you use twitter: https://twitter.com/BarwisMethods
This is a great article - it includes this snippet:
In typical Barwis fashion and following his "everyone else before me" mentality, he doesn't charge a single cent to people with disabilities through his First Step Foundation. "First Step Foundation is why we are doing this tonight, to raise money for people with disabilities," said Barwis. "I work half my hours a week with people with disabilities for nothing. I get more out of that any money you could ever pay me. I love those human beings and they're struggling. If God gave me the gift to sit beside them and help them, and who the hell am I if I don't?"
I don't know how Barwis doesn't cry every time Mealer comes around. Because I probably would.
I hear you...keep thinking of the day Brock led the team out onto the field. What a special moment to have been there. I still tear up thinking about just how special that moment was.
I stand by that. Por ejemplo:
LINK, LINK, LINK, and LINK. And that's just from a one-minute one try Google search.
Sure, it's a developing story, and that's part of the wonder. But Mealer, through hard work supported largely by Barwis's mentorship, coaching, and expertise, has been making steady progress for 5 years.
[EDIT - Meant as a reply to MaizeAndBlueWahoo's snarky response. Of course it's wonderful to hear that Mealer continues to progress - that's why I posted it.]
To really understand my position on this issue, you have to start with my intense dislike of puppies and kittens. It's a long story, but they're just so upbeat and positive, they have always made me angry.
And bunnies. Don't even get me started on bunnies.
That wasn't meant to be snarky, and I think you missed the point, which was that this was the first (or among the first) article to mention other people besides Brock getting tangible benefit out of Barwis's training. (None of the articles you just linked to did that other than the TED talk.)
If that's the point you were making, I did miss it. (Maybe snark is in the eye of the beholder?) You're a consistently positive presence on the board, so I take you at your word.
In any event, I really don't know how often the point of helping people other than Mealer has been made. I know it's been out there, but I think you're right to underscore that this is not just about Mealer. The Chengelis article does a good job of emphasizing that - and I appreciate the fact that Barwis deflects credit on this issue to Mealer. In the article Mealer mentions a parapalegic woman who benefits from some of Barwis's <ahem> methods (note how Mealer deflects credit here too):
“She’s thanking Mike, and Mike says, ‘Don’t thank me, thank Brock. If he didn’t go through the hell he went through we never would have seen the result and we would never have continued this,’ ” Mealer said. “It’s pretty awesome to think of that after all I wanted was to walk and do my own thing, my own selfish thing."
Although the short excerpts from his show seem strange in the least I am happy for Barwis that he remained in the community and found his place. The show might be a train wreck but he and Mealer were meant to find each other.
Cheaper than a New York divorce lawyer. Probably better for your health, too.
This is one of those stories where you always want updates because it is just that compelling, and indeed, it would be great to see a program that was designed just for Brock Mealer at the time become something that helps others with similar injuries regain as much of their mobility as possible. I still remember how great that moment was in 2010 when he made his way onto the field - I don't think there was a dry eye in my section - and it has been great to hear about all the progress since that moment.
That was a great read. Thanks for sharing that.
Good Morning America today setting up his new show which airs on Wednesday. Remarkable guy.
I read the article this morning. With Angelique writing it, and more on Brock and Barwis, how can you go wrong? This is always a great story to read about, and see the continuing progress.
As an aside, this is a wonderful example of someone taking a challenging situation (the firing of RR, and all his staff including Barwis,) and making the most of it. I never have once heard of Barwis complaining or whining . . . he just moved on in a very positive way.