TEXHOMA, Okla. (KVII) -- A high school freshman in Texhoma has earned a spot in an international competition in Thailand, thanks to his skills with the discus and shot put. Jackson Schroeder is one of only sixteen high schoolers in the country to make the U.S. team. He hopes it's a stepping stone to an even bigger stage.
"When I first started, I really didn't think I would get this big, to be honest with you. I didn't think I'd be able to go across the US, go across the world for what I could try to compete in," Jackson said.
Schroeder is quite the competitor. He was born with a condition called spina bifida, in which the spine and spinal cord don't develop properly.
But it hasn't stifled his ambition or his work ethic, to achieve his dream of one day making the U.S. Paralympic team.
"Typical workout, I like to start off in bench press, then I go to my curls and stuff to get this muscle, then I would do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, ball throws, side-to-side to get my trunk working," he said.
He trains under the guidance of Joe Chris Rodriguez, a graduate of Sunray high school, and now the executive director of a non-profit in Amarillo called One Chair at a Time. His organization provides specialized wheelchairs and opportunities in adaptive sports. He met Jackson and his family at a wheelchair basketball game in Pampa when he was eleven. When Rodriguez found out that Jackson wanted to compete in shot and discus like his dad did, a new path was formed, and Jackson's skills soared.
"I've got to see Jackson grow in front of my eyes, to see him at competitions, continue to get bigger, get stronger, break records, break his own goals, and I told him when he was 13, 14, 'I'm gonna ride your coattails and you're gonna take me all over this place,' because you could see the potential," Rodriguez said.
Jackson says the bond the two have developed over the past five years goes far beyond that of coach and athlete.
"Joe does everything. I'm so grateful he takes me to places where I didn't think I could be, and he's my inspiration."
The competition is in February of 2020. He needs to raise at least $5,000 to make the trip to Thailand. Click here for donation and sponsorship information.