The Catalyst Issue 19 | August 2014 | Page 25

A true inspiration to those around him, Trevor exercises regularly at his local gym, defying the odds as he increases his strength and endurance. A model of strength In the past two years Trevor has dramatically changed his lifestyle, working out at least four times a week, eating a high-protein diet, putting on a lot of muscle, and burning off a lot of fat. “I can bench-press my body weight. I do weighted pullups. I think that’s a pretty big deal,” Trevor says. By strengthening the muscles that surround his bones, he’s better able to protect himself against further breaks. With the help of new leg braces, Trevor is now increasing his endurance for standing by adding that exercise at the end of every workout. He started with 30-second intervals and is now up to more than three minutes. Trevor reaches out to others who have OI, too. At the last OI conference, he picked up a chair and moved it out of the way of a 16-year-old boy who was trying to pass by. “That kid just stared at me and said, ‘I can’t believe you just tossed that chair across the room.’ I told him he should start working out. You have to be active.” Trevor wants to empower others who also have OI to do more than they think they can, and push back when the people around them say they can’t go outside, or exercise, or work. The sky’s the limit for a true maverick like Trevor, who is also grateful to Scott & White. “My doctors are so supportive of what works for me. Because of Scott & White, I drive a truck, I work, I work out, and I can be independent. As far as I can tell from the OI community, there’s not a better hospital out there.” n sw.org | August 14 THE CATALYST 25