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Told by doctors he would never be able to do what other kids
could, Max Selleck was determined, even as a child to prove these
nay-sayers wrong. He intuitively turned to swimming and ultimately
triathlon to overcome the many challenges that had plagued his youth.
His willingness to work harder and not get discouraged has allowed this
young man to achieve a level of success never thought possible.
To refresh your memory, Selleck’s physicians were at a loss to
understand why he did not walk until age two and struggled with all
things physical. To complicate the equation, he would require years of
occupational therapy to learn to walk, run, jump and even catch a ball.
In addition to his physical challenges, Max was also enrolled in speech
therapy and special education classes.
After seeing his first Ford Ironman World Championship broadcast in
1997, Selleck was determined to be at the start line one day.
“After
seeing the show I was able to go to the Big Island to watch the race in
1999. I was hooked and have had the passion to get there as an athlete
since then,” shares Selleck. “As soon as I turned 18, I entered the
lottery every year except for one when I missed the deadline.”
His tenacity and persistence paid off with a lottery spot to the Ford Ironman World Championships in 2006.
“I was shocked!
I had been dreaming of this moment for seven years. I just cried.”
It
was a dream come true until May 31, 2006 when, on a group training
ride, he was hit by a car. The driver, apparently turning left had seen
Selleck but felt she could out run him. He saw it coming but there was
nothing he could do.
“She got out of the car and I thought she
was going to help,” he says quietly. “Instead she began berating me for
going to fast. I had to call for help myself.”
What he thought
was a bruise was a broken femur, requiring surgical placement of pins
and plates and several days in the hospital. Since he had been having
his best workouts ever, youthful optimism told Max he would be back on
track for Kona in no time.
Discouragement came in the form of a
formerly healthy young man suddenly forced to use a walker for several
weeks and getting winded after shuffling just 50 feet … It is being on
crutches for two more months and realizing that your dream of the last
nine years was gone. But that discouragement would be for the ordinary
person because, true to his tenacious and extraordinary ways, Selleck’s
‘can-do” attitude re-asserted itself.
“I became more reclusive than I had ever been. I kept asking myself why
someone else’s carelessness was keeping me from my life long dream of
going to Kona. Then one morning I decided to focus my attention on what
I would call the old Max, saying how can I get back on track?”
There would be no stopping him now!
“At
week four, I began to do physical therapy on a bike. At first I had to
rock back and forth on the pedals because I could not make them go the
full circle. Within a week, I was able to push the pedals all the way
around. It was all so painful … the stretching, cycling, trying to walk
… but it was all so worth it.”
When six weeks rolled around
Selleck found a great deal of solace and relief on the stationary bike
and in the pool. Slowly, he began to walk with a cane, still struggling
with a pronounced limp. Months of tedious effort dragged by.
“Swimming
really helped me fight the depression,” he explains. “When I was able
to ride my regular bike I made myself go outdoors. Although I was
afraid to go out on the open roads with traffic I made myself do it
because I did not want to miss out on anything more than I already had.”
Selleck
strategically planned his first ride out doors on December 31, 2006,
exactly seven months to the day he was hit by the car. In February, he
found the courage to ride past the scene of the accident for the first
time.
“I found myself holding my breath and feeling a little
queasy, but once I was beyond the intersection, I felt so proud of
myself. It got easier each time.”
 It
would be a year before Selleck was able to jog a mile without walking
and his limp, or “getty-up” as his friends call it, is still very
prominent. He fights the feeling of loss with the same grace he has
chosen to live his life.
“When I feel sad I just remind myself
how truly lucky I am to be alive. I remember how important my family
and friends are. I know I can make it through the challenges and I have
to just take life as it comes.”
On July 22, 2007 Max crossed the
finish line at the Vineman Ironman 70.3 in Santa Rosa, California. He
was greeted at the finish line by the same family and friends who have
been inspired by his positive fighting spirit. We are blessed to be a
part of his world.
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