Kord Ready was in a hospital gown when he hopped on a tricycle and began to pedal.
“He’s got his left leg up in the air, and he’s pumping away with his right,” his father, Jim Ready, said.
At the time, Kord was 4 years old. Part of his left leg had been amputated after he suffered a broken femur in a sledding accident and complications ensued. None of it could curtail his adventurous spirit, and the memorable tricycle scene during a physical therapy session provided foreshadowing.
“I was like, ‘All right. Life’s going to be all right. We’re moving on,’” Kord’s mother, Meg Ready, said.
Kord, 17, played golf for four seasons at Archbishop Hoban High School with a prosthetic leg — and occasionally without it. He became a three-time letterwinner and graduated in May.
On Friday, Kord received the Courage Award during the Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards show at the Akron Civic Theatre.
“He’s an inspiring person,” Meg Ready said. “He never gives up. He’s a hard worker all the time at everything he does. He doesn’t quit, and he doesn’t feel sorry for himself.”
Hoban coordinator of cocurriculars Matt Monter submitted Kord’s Courage Award nomination. Monter relayed an anecdote the Beacon Journal’s Michael Beaven wrote about in October in which Kord finished a round on one leg during a tournament at Portage Country Club in Akron.
When Kord wears his prosthetic limb, his leg is enclosed in a hard shell, so it can become painful. Kord knew his score would count toward Hoban’s total in the aforementioned outing, so he continued to play. He estimated he can hop on one leg for five minutes before fatigue interferes.
“He has been a player who cares more about the team than individual awards,” Monter wrote in an email nominating Kord for the Courage Award. “He has been a true leader at Hoban and we can’t wait to see what he will accomplish in the future.”
Kord said he plans to study finance at Ohio University. He said he isn’t sure yet whether he’ll participate in golf at the club level, but it’s a possibility.
“He lives life. He encourages people to keep going,” Jim Ready said.
Kord Ready played sports growing up despite a sledding accident and complications leading to part of his left leg being amputated
Kord’s parents are accustomed to him testing the proverbial limits.
Growing up in Hudson, he roughhoused with his brother, Luke, 19, a Hoban graduate who played lacrosse and football in high school before attending the University of Dayton.
As a youngster, Kord played basketball, pushing bigs around for rebounds, and flag football, quarterbacking his team to the league championship. He has dabbled in waterskiing.
“I had to draw the line on the snowboarding,” Meg Ready said. “That’s the only thing I’ve really ever told [him], ‘No, absolutely not.’”
Kord said he started swinging a golf club at age 10 or 11. He has tweaked his technique over the years to account for his prosthetic leg.
He has been persistent with golf despite undergoing roughly five follow-up surgeries over the years. He stands about 6 feet, 2 inches, and as he has grown, bone spurs have developed in his left leg, requiring surgeries.
In other words, Kord has completed several comebacks since he hit a tree in a sledding accident 13 years ago.
“I don’t like sitting still that much,” Kord said. “I’ve got to be moving, got to be doing something, so it definitely sucks when I’ve got to sit on the couch for three weeks or whatnot. It drives me crazy.”
Kord said he can’t recall the first few years of his life when he had both of his legs.
“I just remember getting hot chocolate after the hospital when I got out,” he said.
When Kord was ages 8 to 12, his parents sent him every summer to an overnight camp for amputee children. He met people who could relate to his experiences, including the stares he receives while out in public.
“That was probably the hardest thing to get over, especially when it was a little guy,” Meg Ready said.
Kord Ready, Courage Award winner and Archbishop Hoban High School graduate, hits a drive June 3 at Lake Forest Country Club in Hudson.
A sharp sense of humor has helped. Last year, Kord told Beaven he had lost his leg in a “shark attack” before disclosing the real cause. When Kord hopped on one leg at Portage Country Club, he laughed along with other players. He talks about frequently losing his prosthetic leg at home.
“I’m not a very serious person most of the time,” Kord said. “I’m just kind of having fun.”
There are lessons to be learned from Kord’s attitude and approach. His support system understands them well.
“Do what you can do and love it and enjoy it,” Jim Ready said. “Don’t worry about the things you can’t.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.