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Franklin Square curling athlete eyes spot on U.S. National Team
Every four years over the winter, a widely popular Scottish game engulfs the pop culture conversation in the United States. Curling is a strange sport by most standards. A broom is as vital to you as a bat is to a baseball player. But for one Franklin Square resident and H. Frank Carey High School alum, it’s an opportunity to see the world and achieve greatness despite being in a wheelchair.
Doug King, 43, has been dealing with the effects of spina bifida since he was a child. Over the course of his childhood, Doug’s spine did not develop properly due to the condition. Eventually he was confined to a wheelchair. At first Doug struggled with his place in the world. When you love sports and more specifically running, it’s hard to adjust to loss of your legs. Doug was urged to follow his passions by his former gym teacher Matt McLees, who is now the Athletic Director at Carey.
“He was the one that more or less motivated me getting involved in wheelchair sports,” said King, recalling his interactions with McLees in 1991.
When McLees first met King, he was a 25-year-old physical education teacher. He immediately took a liking to Doug. It was clear to McLees that despite Doug’s disability, he was still a likeable and fun guy to be around. His personality was infectious, McLees said, and he was very mature for his age. At the time, kids with disabilities didn’t have the same opportunities as they do today. As a result, McLees became much more aware of his surroundings and how difficult most things were at the time for people in wheelchairs.
“I saw day in and day out all of the things that I would typically take for granted that were some things that should not have been taken for granted,” said McLees. “He’s overcome so much to have the success that he has and a lot of that is a testament to his will and his determination.”
With McLees’s tutelage, Doug had the confidence to try something new later on his life.
“I did basketball for a while, I did some wheelchair softball and my wife and I were looking for something fun to do so we joined Long Island Curling in Bellmore.”
