KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Shalmar'e Wade is deaf and blind in one eye, but those disabilities do not stop the Northeast High School student-athlete from excelling in sports or his studies.
“Deaf people can do anything hearing can do, and just treat us like anybody else," said Wade, who plays multiple sports including basketball, track and field and football, his favorite. “I’m just more confident, it’s more fun. I love the workout part. I love the practices. I love every part of it."
Wade says he's found sports to be an equalizer.
“I feel like it’s a level playing field whenever I’m playing," he said.
The 18-year-old has had to make some adjustments such as wearing a shield in his face mask to protect his eye. He also has an interpreter on the sideline to help communicate.
"If they do an audible, I just look over and pick it up. It’s pretty easy,” Wade said.
Sports have come easily to the teen, and he has performed so well his coach nicknamed him "Money."
“He made a heck of a catch one time, and that’s how he got the nickname and we rolled with it ever since," explained Roger Franks, head football coach and athletic director at Northeast High School.
He says it's easy to forget Wade's disabilities because he performs like every other student.
“Athletics is one of those happy mediums for everything. It doesn’t have a certain race or gender," Franks said. "It’s kind of a melting pot to get all kinds of things taken care of.”
Franks attributes a higher level of play to Wade's positive impact on his teammates.
“It’s really elevated our team to get to the level we’re playing at because now the excuses are gone," Franks said. "When they see him running just as hard, now that next kid is going to run just as hard. He comes to practice every day. That kid comes to practice every day. It’s like a ripple effect."
In addition to excelling at sports, Wade's achievements extend to the classroom. The teen has already racked up a number of scholarships.
“The one I’m most proud of is the dean’s prestigious merit scholarship that I got for my grades on my ACT score," Wade said.
After high school, the 18-year-old plans to major in physical education at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
“I was mind blown. It’s just a whole new world at Gallaudet, and everyone was signing everyone … it was very inspiring,” he said.
Wade aspires to be a coach one day and hopes other people living with a disability turn their dreams into reality.
“You need to focus on what you can do and don’t listen to the haters. You can do it,” Wade said.
