LITHIA, Fla. — When you watch 15-year-old Zavi Gonzalez field a ground ball or hit a double, you’d have no idea that this teenager from Lithia has only one leg.
“When I was born, I was diagnosed with Fibular Hemimelia,” said Gonzalez. “I got my first amputation at eight months, and I got my first prosthesis at 12 months old.”
He likes to say it’s not a disability; it’s a different ability, and he continues to prove it on the diamond by excelling at baseball.
“It's like a happy place for me; it's something I always go to if I’m like feeling down. I always want to play baseball,” said Gonzalez. “I move like everybody else and I play like everybody else, I just have a different looking leg in my opinion, that’s all I see.”
Gonzalez said he couldn’t do it on talent and dedication alone. He is proud to show off the box of prosthetic legs he’s accumulated over the years, thanks to Shriners Children’s.
“I wouldn’t be here without them, like I would be in a wheelchair right now and they give me all my prosthetics for free, Shriners is like an amazing thing, I love them, they are like a second family,” said Gonzalez.
The non-profit is just as thankful for his willingness to share his story. Last month, he was chosen to represent Tampa Bay during the Shriners Children’s Open, an official PGA Tour event in Las Vegas.
“I was a standard bearer. I kept score the whole time. I was going hole to hole, and I even had a chance to meet Ricky Fowler, which was just amazing,” said Gonzalez.
He hopes to be a voice in the community for all children living with prosthetic limbs. Whether it's a hole-in-one or a home run, he strives to be the best.
“I hope to be like an inspiration for people who might also have the same thing going on as me, even outside of baseball, if they want to be a basketball player, or volleyball player, anything with sports or anything else, just don’t doubt yourself.”
As for Gonzalez's future goals, just keep an eye out for him playing shortstop at a stadium near you.
“First player in the MLB with a prosthetic, I’ll be there.”
Back-to-back storm events brought record storm surge, rainfall and winds to the Tampa Bay region. The question some are asking now isn’t where people should rebuild, but where we should let nature regain control.
