By Jamie Apody
When you think of the word strength, what comes to mind? Someone who can lift heavy objects? Someone who can overcome a heavy burden Rory Koonce Jr. is the picture of both.
“A lot of my strength is mental strength. I tell myself I’m gonna do it, so I do it,” said Koonce Jr.
The Wilmington man holds the State, National, and World Records for Power Curling in three different weight classes. And he’s the only person on record to do it from his wheelchair.
“They kinda try to box a person with a disability in, you can only do certain things and I don’t believe in that. My mantra is the impossible is possible,” said Koonce Jr.
Koonce Jr. was born at 26 weeks with cerebral palsy. He weighed 1 pound, 13 ounces. Doctors said he wouldn’t be able to see, speak, eat, walk, or use the left side of his body.
“He was in the NICU for 90 days and there was a lot of ‘He’s not gonna make it.’ I said to the Lord, ‘As long as he can hear me, speak to me, and see me, that’s all I needed.’ And he has surpassed that, by far,” said Rhonda Cain.
Join Our Family
Sign up for our free e-newsletter for more blogs, articles, and news about CP kids and their families.
