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SANTEE -- Bryant Young may be missing most of his left leg, but he's had all of his heart in completing a cross-state bicycle trip.
The Greenville resident stopped at Santee State Park on Thursday as part of his six-day, 335-mile trip across S.C. The 40-year-old began his journey May 7 at the South Carolina-North Carolina state line before heading south on U.S. Highway 178. Averaging 55 miles a day, the lower-limb amputee followed the Walter Ezell Bike Route until he arrived at the end of his journey -- Charleston Battery -- on Saturday.
Why take on such an enormous challenge? His five small children, ranging in age from 16 months to 9 years old, had a lot to do with his decision.
"As they get older, they begin to start looking at life as if it's unfair," said Young, who indicated to his wife, Jill, that completing the bicycle trek would teach his children a valuable lesson about determination and perseverance. "Not just because I have a disability, but as an adult, you realize that life is full of obstacles and challenges. Really, with the Lord's help, it's our role to continue to figure out how we can get around those obstacles."
Additionally, Young's trip served a second purpose -- it raised funds for the BCFC Christian Academy in Kenya as part of his missionary work for his church, Faith Free Presbyterian Church in Greenville.
"I said, 'What could I do to maybe inspire and challenge them and leave a legacy of overcoming for them?'" said Young, who doesn't let his disability hinder his ability to live life to the fullest. "It's important to love our neighbor as ourself. We thought if this trip garnered any attention, we wanted to see if we could do something to help someone else."
Young said the school, with a population of about 450 children, needs a fresh water supply and its dormitories need some repair work. The school currently has water trucked to it every day, which is very expensive, he said.
Most donations are being given through Young's Web site, www.bryantyoung.com. He said he has already raised $2,300 toward his $5,000 goal.
"I've received donations from as far away as New Jersey, which was kind of neat," Young said. Tax deductions are available to those who request them via e-mail, he said.
Young lost most of his left leg a month after his 18th birthday while on a skiing trip with friends.
"We were sliding down the road, and I was run over by a truck," he said. "It crushed my pelvis and pushed my kneecap through my leg. About a week later, the circulation just never regained. For a number of years, we just sort of got along with what technology had."
That is until about four years ago, when Young was introduced to the C-Leg, the world's leading computer-controlled artificial leg. Manufactured by Minnesota-based Otto Bock HealthCare LLP, which produces 25,000 types of prosthetic and orthotic components and mobility and rehabilitation products, Young said the C-Leg has changed his life.
The C-Leg, which utilizes microprocessors to control the knee's hydraulic function 50 times a second, has given him stability and mobility to be able to complete his trip, Young said.
"With the C-Leg, I can literally just go where I want to go," he said. "Other than getting saved, it's been the best thing in my life. It's just been tremendous.
"With five kids, you need a computer something," Young added, laughing.
He said his cross-state trip has drawn attention among local residents.
"It's really my own dream," Young said. "At first, my wife thought I was a little crazy. It's been very difficult, but I've received lots of comments. Just up in St. Matthews, a man pulled along beside me and said he had a disabled child and that he and his wife had seen some coverage of my trip in Columbia. He thanked me for the trip and said that it really gave them a sense of hope and inspiration that life goes on."
Young is the father of Christiana, 9; Kaleigh, 7; Esther, 5; Jackson, 3 and Timothy, 16 months.
His oldest child said she thought her father's charitable donations to help the children in Africa were good and that he is a good example for her and her siblings on how to overcome obstacles in life.
"I think he is very brave," Christiana said.
T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.