(Anita, IA) — It is not unusual for a high school athlete to overcome an injury to get back into competition but Sophomore Drew Barber of CAM had to overcome a horrifying accident this past fall and is now back throwing for the Cougars track and field team and hopes to be playing football soon.
Last September, Barber had just moved into the starting line up on the offensive line for CAM football when during a routine horse judging contest for FFA, he was bucked by the horse and kicked in the face. He was taken to Nebraska Medical Center and Barber says the doctors were first worried about an injury to the brain
He had lost all his vision in his right eye which remains to this day. He had to have surgery to put the right eye back together and also had to have surgery to fix his sinus cavity. He missed about a month of school recovering but he rolled with the punches, so to speak and was quick to accept what happened to him and he has not been affected by it
Barber has made his return to sports this spring and currently ranks 4th in the discus among the athletes competing in his district and has a goal of hitting 130 to 135 feet while he has experimented in the shot put and hopes to get 40 to 45 feet there. The bigger goal, however, is to play football this fall which he says is a realistic goal
He also has not given up on horse riding and actually plans on working with the same horse that bucked him
After the accident, Barber received tremendous support from his family, friends, school and community which he is eternally grateful. Barber says the accident has not changed him much other a physical aspect and has some advice for others that gone through serious accidents
Barber says he enjoys the competition between him and Freshman Jace Hardisty for the CAM throwers — next up for the Cougars track and field team is the Audubon Bob Clark Relays Tuesday night.
Complete Interview with CAM Sophomore Drew Barber
