“Everyday [my parents] tell me to live life and not worry about my size, just live.”
Taking their advice, freshman Bryce Martin does just that. He’s been the captain for the Wichita Falls Wildcats high school team for two years in a row, currently coaches a team in the younger league, and strives to be a role model for others like him.
He has a condition called MED, that is, multiple epiphyseal dysplasia.
With this disorder his longer bones, such as those in the legs and arms, don’t grow as fast as a normal person’s. They take more time to mature. He also can develop problems where his bones can deteriorate to a point that he would need reconstructive surgery to reshape them.
When Martin and his family found out the condition that he had, they began a daily routine to help prevent his bones from decaying. Each day Martin stretches and does strength training for his legs and arms to slow down the process, a system developed by his dad who works in sports medicine.
“I was happy and a little depressed at the same time [when I found out]: happy because I finally got an answer to what I had, depressed because of what it can do,” Martin said. “It could ruin me. If I just sit around, then the condition I have could put me in a wheelchair. I have to stay on top of it.”
Luckily, he hasn’t had to face those type of problems yet. Instead he is trying to live as normal as he can. In fact, he choose to be involved in sports despite his condition.
Martin began playing hockey when he was in kindergarten and developed a love for being a member of a team. Even though it was a challenge for him, he makes an effort to always try to the best of his abilities.
“I like a challenge, I really do, so when I want to accomplish something I put my mind to it, and most of the time I get it done,” Martin said. “[The other players] were a little bit better, so I had to work twice as hard to keep up with them because of my size and my stature, but that didn’t keep me down. I just worked through it and got better by trying to keep up with them.”
As a result of his efforts, he was elected team captain for two consecutive years and grew close to his teammates.
“We’re like a family,” Martin said. “They treat me with a lot of respect, even though they’re bigger than me, they know I’m just as good because I work just as hard.”
Knowing all the difficulties he’s had to face, Martin has chosen to pursue a career that will be beneficial to others, not just with his disorder, but who share his love for sports.
“I’d like to become an orthopedic surgeon to help kids who have injuries and get them back playing,” Martin said. “I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to play because of the condition I have, so I want to help others, that way I can see them do what I didn’t get to do.”