Today was super rad ! We had a day off in Salt Lake City where we had the opportunity to meet a child with NF. The type of Neurofibromatosis that our friend Travis has causes him bone deformities in his legs as well as learning disabilities in the classroom. That doesn’t stop him from “always racing” everyday though! He is a big fan of NASCAR and beating the JOH team at Backyard Football on the Nintendo Wii. He’s a funny kid for sure! He took us on a tour of the Salt Lake City Shriner’s Hospital after we chowed on some tacos. We learned of the Shriner’s Hospital history and got to see some of the facilities used everyday to help heal children with developmental disabilities. It was very impactful. Afterwards, we went to Travis’ favorite ice cream spot at Howdy. He even had his own flavor, Tamale. I got the Dr. Pepper chocolate chip with orange cream. The team all had a great time trying each other’s flavors while playing Jenga or Connect Four with Travis. To end the day, we squeezed some more Backyard Football sessions in and even made a race track with chairs and tables. Derek, Kaskie, Fitz, and I raced Travis around the track on our bikes and he beat us every time! Days like today are a reminder that everyday can be wonderful with the right attitude. Travis is going to be just fine. He is a reminder that the JOH North team should continue to be vigilant everyday and strive to be the best version of ourselves. Looking forward to seeing Park City tomorrow.
– Ryan Miller, University of Connecticut (Kappa Omicron)