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Fabry's quest for more 'Gold' will continue in Rio de Janeiro Paralympics
An editor’s note: As a first-year English teacher at Lemoore High School in 1987-88, Fabry was a freshman member of that first group of students who somehow managed to survive their first year of high school with a 29-year-old unproven and frightened teacher named Ed Martin.
By now Fabry’s story is well known. As a smart-aleck, red-headed, fresh-faced 15-year-old, the Lemoore High School student lost an arm and a leg in a motorcycle accident, and since leaving the hospital so many years ago, Fabry has embarked on a quest that, in addition to Paralympic Gold, has seen him – among several honors – nominated for an ESPY, earn a spot in the Lemoore High School Foundation Hall of Fame and spend much of his adult life traveling the world in search of athletic glory and personal satisfaction.
In fact, in addition to the Paralympic medal haul, the talented archer has won archery competitions all over the world, from Europe, where he competed in France, Italy and the Czech Republic, to South Korea and places in between. His trophy case, housed in his the Lemoore home he currently shares with wife Crystal, daughter Rebecca, 14, and son Joseph, 10, is rapidly running out of space, crowded by the medals and trophies he’s won from throughout the world.
He’s been to South America once before as a competitor in the Pan American Games, and he’s looking forward to his return trip to Brazil and the athletic venues of Rio de Janeiro. He and his fellow athletes will be residing in the Olympic Village during their stay.
“It’s been a wild ride, I’ll tell you that,” acknowledged an affable Fabry, 43, who took some time out of his training regime in San Diego to speak with his old freshman English teacher by telephone. “To even think that I’d get out of Kings County someday and do this. I’d never dreamed I’d be doing what I’m doing.”
He’s currently training in San Diego in preparation for the Paralympic Games, which begin Sept. 7 and continue through Sept. 18. Fabry, while training, has run across another well-known Lemoore athlete, Jerome Avery, currently a guide runner for blind sprinter David Brown. Brown currently holds the Paralympic record in the 100 meters. This will be Avery’s third trip to the Paralympics.
The two have known each other for some time as they both compete in the Paralympics, Avery as a guide and Fabry as one of the best archers in the world.
In addition to his ongoing competitive streak, Fabry continues to train and compete full-time. He has taught Paralympic archery at camps and clinics around the country. He served as an archery coach for the Navy/Coast Guard team at the 2011 Warrior Games, which brings together wounded service men and women to compete in adaptive sports.
He spends his working hours at a non-profit in Fresno called Break the Barrier where he serves as the archery director, air rifle and air pistol instructor. Break the Barriers is a “national ability center” that works with and opens its doors to the disabled. Fabry has spent the last two years there.
Many may consider him the favorite to win an individual gold, considering his last performance in the London 2012 Paralympics – where he won his first gold medal in dramatic fashion. “I can’t consider myself a favorite,” warned Fabry. “I’ve got the outlook that I’m going to go into Rio and perform the best I can. If I play my cards right I just might walk out of there with a gold. I won’t underestimate any of my opponents.
“If you think you’re a shoe-in, someone’s going to knock you off. You just can’t assume you’re the favorite and it’s simply going to happen.”
“Fabry and his fellow Paralympians leave the United States on Aug. 29, fly to Houston for processing – and then on to the bright lights, white beaches and athletic venues of Rio de Janeiro.
The wife and kids aren’t going. The kids have school and Fabry needs to focus on his mission. “I go solo,” he said, “because I’m there to represent the United States, and I want to keep my head on straight. Having a family around could be a distraction.”
He will compete in individual and mixed team competition. In mixed action, he’ll be pairing with Lia Coryell, a first-time Paralympics Game attendee. They recently shot together at the World Championships and finished fourth.
Where did Fabry develop his archery skills? In a nutshell, even though he was limited to what he could do, he figured he could still hunt. So he picked up a bow, got a job at an archery store, and then he managed to turn a hunting hobby into a full-fledged hunt for Paralympic Gold.
What would he be doing if he hadn’t picked up that bow? “Probably not a lot,” he lamented. “My motive was to hunt and fish, and once I got the bow, that got me back into the sports world. I picked it up, enjoyed it, and I got proficient – all because I wanted to hunt.”
He relished his London gold medal, and remembers when a Paralympic official placed around his neck, and the National Anthem was played. “I was on the platform,” he remembered, “and they were raising the flag and playing the anthem. I realized then that I had completed my dream."
He says he will continue to compete in the Paralympics and other world competitions as long as his body holds up. “I’m looking forward to Tokyo in 2020.”
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