Lilly Richard

Soccer is one of the world’s most popular sports and has existed for some time. The entire preface of the game is putting a ball into a goal on a rectangular field. However, its famous stipulation is that you can only use your legs and feet, not your hands.

Lilly Richard (12) has played soccer for the ZHS Lady Broncos ever since she stepped onto campus as a freshman, but her soccer journey hasn’t been easy. Richard has overcome numerous challenges with a prosthetic leg on the soccer field.

Richard started playing soccer with her brother long before she was in high school. She was immediately drawn to soccer as a team sport, enjoying working with others and bonding with her teammates.

“I really wanted to get into a team sport,” Richard said, “Something that I could play with neighbors and friends.”

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Richard continued to play soccer in high school, recording multiple seasons with the Lady Broncos and even earning a captaincy spot on the team. Of course, having a prosthetic leg has made her seasons more challenging, but Richard hasn’t let this impact her game, whether in practice or on the field. She’s found new ways to play and run comfortably.

“Soccer requires a lot of running, so I’ve had different prosthetics over the years. I’ve switched from a running blade to just a normal ankle and stuff,” Richard said.

However, having this prosthetic with her for games has been a little challenging when it comes to the referees’ understanding of Richard’s disability. Richard commented that there have been issues with the refs’ understanding of her leg, forcing her to wear only one shin guard instead of both. In the past, referees have made her pad the leg with Styrofoam to protect not only the leg but also other players and teammates.

Richard also said that having a prosthetic has impacted her mobility on the field. However, this mobility issue has allowed Richard to gain problem-solving skills and learn how to approach situations in a more positive light.

“I think it’s definitely a good way to learn problem-solving and stuff because you have unexpected challenges that come up and you figure out ways to solve them, like the Styrofoam thing,” Richard said.

Though Richard has faced challenges, it hasn’t dimmed her love for the sport! She does it all to play with the team she loves. Throughout her high school career, she’s made countless memories with the girls that she wouldn’t trade for anything! Her favorite memory was singing the alma matter on bus rides as loudly as she could during her sophomore year.

Overall, Richard has worked extremely hard throughout her four years, not only being a varsity athlete with a prosthetic but also achieving student of the year for ZHS, along with numerous other honors to her name. Richard is a clear demonstration of persevering through challenges. She has found the good in what most people would only see as a hindrance and has turned what people would describe as a disability into an even stronger ability.

Clifton Walker

When most people go to football games and watch the Broncos attempt a field goal, few of them know who snaps the ball to the Broncos holder. They may be surprised to learn that the snapper actually has a disability because Walker has worked hard to overcome challenges and ensure that his disability doesn’t define his success on the field.

Walker took his first steps on the gridiron at Northwestern Middle School in 7th grade and has been playing since then. His experience playing football at ZHS has been amazing, and Walker is incredibly close to his teammates, describing them as similar to brothers.

Walker has overcome many of the challenges of using a prosthetic on the field. He had to figure out how to long snap, which is difficult to master alone, and how to run at full speed during intense games.

“It’s difficult because long snapping, you have to use two legs, but I learned how to snap with one leg and stuff. It’s really difficult, but I will get through it,” Walker said.

Like Lilly, Walker had to figure out how to communicate with the referees about his disability. He used various tapes and even pool noodles to wrap his leg, ensuring that he was still able to play without hurting anyone around him.

“I do have to check in every game because of my leg. It’s made out of carbon fiber and metal, so I have to wrap it every game, so if I hit somebody or tackle somebody, it won’t hurt,” Walker said.

Walker has been a part of the Broncos’ special teams side for four years now and was even part of the program when the Broncos won their state championship in 2021. From playing defense for the middle school to wrapping up his high school career with appearances in the LHSAA state championship game, Walker has proven that disabilities don’t define a person. He’s trained hard to master one of football’s toughest positions, even with a disability, and he encourages every child with a disability to keep going, even when faced with challenges.

“Don’t let anything stop you, even if you have a disability, just keep going!” Walker said.