Tre Lawson just overcame a major hurdle between him and his dreams. The former track star took his first lap around the field since a car accident left him paralyzed two years ago.
In 2017, Lawson was a ranked hurdler recruited by top schools like USC and Clemson. On June 11th of that year, just weeks after his high school graduation, he was on his way home from a track meet with friends when their car went off the road and down a 30-foot ravine.
Lawson sustained multiple life threatening injuries including a nearly severed spinal cord, but he didn’t let the accident stop him from dreaming.
After learning that he was paralyzed from the waist down, Lawson set his sights on returning to the track one day. His Instagram page highlights his journey going from the hospital to the gym and eventually, back to the track.
Now a sophomore at Fort Valley State University, last Sunday Lawson posted a video to his Twitter and Instagram account, sharing the inspiring moment where his determination and faith allowed him to push beyond all of the obstacles that stood in his way.
Lawson is taking it day by day and hopes to build up his strength to return to the track without any assistance.
That same determination is what led him to continue his academic pursuits.
“Although I didn’t go to college on scholarships, I still went no matter my circumstances. And I’m still determined to succeed to this day,” he said in a statement.
Lawson is pursuing a dual bachelors degree in pre-education and special education.
Keep going, Tre! We’re rooting for you on the track and off!