Bob Gearing planned to join the Navy after he graduated high school in 1983, but a car wreck altered those plans, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
“I’ve always wished there was someone when I first got hurt to relate to me the things I could do, the possibilities that were out there,” said Gearing.
Now he’s part of an organization that does exactly that — giving those hit with disabilities a chance to enjoy an outdoor sportsman’s life.
Outdoors Without Limits (OWL) held a large deer hunt in northeast Georgia Dec. 7-8. The Madison County Fair Grounds was the gathering place for more than 100 hunters with disabilities.
The event was an outdoor hunt, but OWL also holds fishing and sport shooting events for the disabled.
“By creating these events we bring people together, many for the first time,” said Gearing, who handles media relations for OWL. “And many see others with disabilities and they say, ‘Hey, I guess I can do this.’ You actually create this incredible fellowship opportunity and friendships are made. It’s like a family type environment after one or two events.”
Gearing said he has always enjoyed the outdoors and was drawn to OWL, which was founded by Kirk Thomas, a 6’5”, 300-lb. former college football player, who was paralyzed from the waist down after a tree fell on him in 1992 as he walked back to his truck following a deer hunt.
“I have a passion for the outdoors, primarily fishing,” said Gearing. “I also enjoy hunting and boating, canoeing and camping. I’ve been to Arctic Circle. I’ve been to northern Ontario. I’ve been all over North America. And I always wanted to give back.”
Gearing attended his first OWL event last year at Fair Weather Farms in Monroe.
“This one (organization) seemed just so sincere, so true,” said Gearing. “The passion that Kirk has. It’s just an opportunity to plug into a family of kindred spirits, to just one step at a time change some lives for people who might not have know the opportunity was out there for them.”
Gearing said Tim Rowe, an OWL National Board Member and the huntmaster for this weekend’s Comer Hunt, drew him to join OWL.
“He (Rowe) deserves recognition, as he is the ‘operations’ guy who executes the vast majority of our events,” said Gearing. “I met him at the Fair Weather Farms hunt last year, and his selfless dedication to OWL is just incredible. He dedicates so much of his precious free time coordinating these events, and at the same time shies away from any kind of recognition, I would be remiss not to mention him as a critical part of OWL’s success.”
Gearing said Comer Mayor Jody Blackmon and the Madison County and Northeast Georgia community have been great to OWL. He spoke of the outpouring of support evident at an organizational meeting for the hunt in Comer. He also noted that businesses have pitched in to help too, such as Home Depot donating 750 lbs. of charcoal to help with the cookout, which could include up to 500 people.
“At least 40-50 people showed up (at the organization meeting) at the Comer Museum and started offering spots on their private land for folks with disabilities to hunt,” said Gearing. “The response was just tremendous from the community. A number of those folks stepped forward. Unfortunately, we can’t usually accommodate all hunters, but with such a great response from the community, we were pretty much able to accommodate any and all. And it’s actually growing daily. We’re up to 115 to 120.”
For more information about OWL, visit www.OutdoorsWithoutLimits.net or call the OWL office at 678-401-4339.
