Stransman Speaker’s Journey from Track Star to Trailblazer

In Grade 10, aspiring track athlete Anthony Lue performed so well at OFSAA that a recruiter from Ohio State University approached his mother. “I was destined for greatness,” he says. But a tragic accident that left him a paraplegic meant that Lue’s greatness would find its way through unexpected channels. 

Lue brought his story to Crescent at an all-school assembly in March in an event sponsored by the Leadership in Sports Endowment in Memory of John Stransman P’03, ’05. In a hushed auditorium, Lue shared how he managed to adapt to his circumstances and find new ways to ignite his passion for athleticism. “During rehabilitation, I was focusing on what I could do and not what I couldn't do,” he says. “I was learning to use my new wheelchair and what my new life was going to be like.” 

Today, Lue is an accessibility consultant, a model, and a professional speaker while also studying rehabilitation management. Lue plays wheelchair basketball and, thanks to a specialized machine that helps him stand, plays golf. He is also a para-cyclist with aspirations to compete in the Olympics.

The session ended with a Q&A with Lue, StopGap founder and accessibility advocate Luke Anderson, and Crescent parent Shelby Firsten P’29, ’33, who is a Director on the StopGap Board of Governors. 

In an interesting tie-in to Intersession, a group of Upper School students worked with StopGap as part of an Intersession Week local outreach service project. The program included a panel discussion with StopGap executives, analyzing the accessibility needs at Crescent and within the local community, and designing and painting ramps for the school.