Frostproof teen with spina bifida sets sights on 2024 Paralympics

FROSTPROOF, FL - A Frostproof teen who was born with spina bifida has garnered state and national attention for his athletic prowess.

Zach Holman has 18 gold and two silver medals under his belt in Florida in adaptive track and field. He also holds a national record.

"He never lets anything get him down." His mom, Karen Holman, told FOX 13. "He pushes himself."

Zach’s passion for track and field started when someone recognized his potential years ago.

"A teacher came up to me and said, you should do track," he recalled. "I did it, and I fell in love with it."

He especially loves the javelin.

"It is kind of effortless for me," he said. "I just kind of throw. It is not a whole lot of technique."

However he pulls it off, it’s working. In one competition, he threw a javelin four times further than the guy who came in second.

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Zach just graduated from Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, so he won’t be competing at that level anymore.

His coach says he will miss him.

"I wish I had another year," said a smiling Coach David Andrews. "If we had one more year, we could finish business."

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Zach has already gotten down to business with his next move.

He plans to attend Webber University in the fall and has an interest in possibly pursuing sportscasting as a career.

He also intends to keep on training with hopes of competing in the Paralympics in 2024.