OSU student overcomes tragedy with fitness

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

For many, physical wellness is a hobby or afternoon run to relieve stress. But for one Oklahoma State University student, it became so much more.

Tyler Zander, a senior pre-med entrepreneurship major from Enid, Okla., worked at a grain elevator the summer before his senior year in high school. Toward the end of the summer, he and a coworker were severely injured in a grain auger accident. 

“The paramedics finally pulled us out, and when they did there was nothing left of my leg from the knee down,” Zander said. 

Zander was in the hospital for 72 days, where he underwent 30 surgeries and procedures and received 97 units of blood. Doctors told him he would never be able to walk without crutches. But Zander refused to feel sorry for himself, and he turned to fitness to help him recover.

“I got down to 92 lbs. whenever I was in the hospital and had to slowly build back up,” Zander said. “I was told I had a 5 percent chance of being fit with a prosthetic and that I would never walk without crutches. Today, I walk unassisted and even have a running leg. None of this would be possible if I was not in the shape that I am in. Physical wellness has given me my life back and allowed me to do everything I want in my life.”

Zander initially worried about going back to the gym, fearing what people would think of him. He would pull in to the parking lot at his gym, only to drive back home. But when he finally began to work out, he saw more than just physical benefits.

“Things began to change,” Zander said. “Physical wellness gave me an outlet, a way to be equal, and a way to combat my insecurities and fears. Growing up playing sports, I’ve always appreciated being physically healthy, but losing my leg has definitely shown me the power that physical wellness can have in overcoming emotional and physical obstacles.”

Zander will graduate in May and is looking forward to attending medical school after graduation. He plans on pursuing a career in cardiothoracic surgery. Regardless of where he goes, Zander says he will always strive to be healthier and stronger, and he encourages others to do the same.

“I think it’s important to tie physical wellness to a bigger purpose in your life,” Zander said. “If you can visualize how being physically healthy will improve your career, your personal life, or any other important aspect of your life than you will be more likely to stick with it. For me, I see physical wellness as a way to glorify God, inspire others, and a tool for me to pursue all of my personal and professional goals.”

PHOTO: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ostatenews/albums/72157661334973691

Story by Catherine Wilson