Posted on October 1, 2021
Well-known athlete, motivational speaker Johnny Agar giving back to Mary Free Bed
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Johnny Agar has cerebral palsy, but he’s never let it define him. The 27-year-old Rockford man is an Ironman athlete admired by Olympians and professional athletes, a brand ambassador, motivational speaker and, now, an author. He’s also a Mary Free Bed graduate.
In his new book “The Impossible Mile,” which he wrote with his mother, Becki Agar shares details about his connection to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. And in celebration of the book’s release this week, they also designed socks that resemble the ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) he wears for support. A portion of proceeds from the sock sale will benefit Mary Free Bed’s Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports program.
“This book is to help encourage others … to get past their ‘impossible’,” Becki Agar said.
Agar was born with CP, a physical disability that can affect movement, posture and motor skills. At the time, Agar’s parents were told he likely wouldn’t walk or talk.
To support his healthy development, Agar began rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed when he was three years old. He participated in physical, occupational and speech therapies, and also received his first AFOs and wheelchair.
Despite his physical challenges, Agar dreamed of becoming an athlete. With the support of his family and the tools provided by his Mary Free Bed team, Agar set a goal to walk a mile in his church’s annual 5K, a feat he called “a marathon to me.” He then began partnering with his father, Jeff, and went on to participate in countless local, regional and national athletic events, including the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, which garnered national media attention.
With publication of “The Impossible Mile,” the Agars share how Johnny was raised without limitations to realize “anything is possible if you’ll just take on life one step at a time.” The book includes a memory of his first steps in therapy at Mary Free Bed and how a visit to see Mickey Mouse at Disney World served as inspiration.
“She told me on the ride back how proud she was, because I stuck with it when it was hard and I never gave up,” Agar said in an excerpt from the book. “Not that I took the steps, but that she had seen in me that day the perseverance and tenacity I was going to need for the rest of my life.”
The Agars were excited to create the AFO sock to complement the book’s release and benefit Mary Free Bed’s Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports program. Agar interned with WAS as a college student.
“His AFOs help support him … if he doesn’t wear them, he will collapse. They help keep him strong, to be able to take the steps he needs to take,” Becki said. “We thought it would be really neat to make a sock with his braces knitted in them as a way to show people if they wear them, maybe they would feel encouraged to conquer whatever it is they’re trying to conquer.”
To purchase “The Impossible Mile,” click here.
To buy a pair of socks and support Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports, click here.
In this video, Agar talks about his journey and even reconnects with one of the Mary Free Bed therapists he had as a child:
