Beside you all the way
An athlete achieves the extraordinary, and he’s not doing it alone
An athlete achieves the extraordinary, and he’s not doing it alone.
When Colleen Clifford first met Bagel at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Atlanta, she could sense that the young dog was as sharp as a tack and had energy to spare. The more she learned about Bagel (who had spent most of his life in a crowded shelter, where his chances of survival weren’t good), the more he reminded her of her son, Cougar. After all, both have faced their challenges with a sense of optimism and unshakable enthusiasm. Each possesses his own brand of indomitable spirit.
At just 19 years old, Cougar is a competitive swimmer who has completed eight triathlons. That’s a big deal in and of itself, when you consider that many of us can’t drive the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) without stopping for a bag of chips along the way. But Cougar is a decidedly more impressive individual than simply being an active young man with a penchant for competing in grueling races. After an accident left him paralyzed at the age of 15, he made the decision to live every day to the fullest. Four years later, he has done just that — and now he does it with Bagel by his side.
THRIVING INSTEAD OF SURVIVING
Before we get to know Bagel, we need to go back a few years. At the time, Cougar and his family were living in Missouri. While playing with friends one cold winter day, Cougar jumped into a snowbank, landing headfirst — and breaking his neck. After 10 hours of surgery, he woke up in a hospital bed without the use of his arms and legs.
For Cougar and those who love him, the news that he was quadriplegic was devastating. This was a boy who competed on the national motocross racing circuit. He loved his active lifestyle; it’s simply who he was. Instead of seeing his situation as insurmountable, though, Cougar chose to see it as an opportunity to get stronger. He wouldn’t just survive, he decided. He would thrive.
For obvious reasons, Cougar’s road to recovery was a long and sometimes painful one. But not once did he think of giving up. Not even in the early days, when he couldn’t so much as hold up his head. Back then, even breathing was arduous. Through hours and hours of daily therapy and a never-give-up attitude, he slowly got stronger.
Eventually, Cougar and his family moved to Atlanta, where he was able to continue his recovery at one of the country’s top therapy hospitals. That therapy, coupled with countless personal training sessions, opened a whole new world for Cougar. Against all odds, he began taking part in 10K and half-marathon races.
WANTED: A WINGMAN
When we take on a new goal or lifestyle change, it can be helpful to do it with a friend. That’s why Cougar started to consider adopting a dog as a training buddy. He wanted a dog who not only possessed the physical traits necessary to train and even race alongside him, but one who could accompany him for the next big chapter in his life: heading to college and living on his own. With Colleen’s help, Cougar began the search, but he took it slowly, believing that when he met the right dog, he’d know it.
Cougar wasn’t planning on finding that perfect dog on the day he met Bagel. In fact, he was hanging out with the cats at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center when Colleen came to tell him about the incredible young pup she’d just met, someone who was also starting a new chapter in his life.
Not too long before, Bagel had been living at a large municipal shelter so crowded with other homeless dogs that it was difficult for anyone to notice his lovable personality and eagerness to learn. After hearing Bagel’s story, Cougar knew that he had to meet him. When he did, the connection was immediate.
“When he was playing, I noticed he had a good pull instinct, which is important for any service dog,” Cougar says, anticipating how critical that instinct would be for pulling him through unforgiving sections of terrain in tough races. Convinced that Bagel could be a great addition to the family and an awesome wingman for physical activities, Cougar and Colleen went home to think things over. A few days later, they returned and took Bagel home with them.
Best Friends adoption specialist Megan Matchett was excited for Bagel, recognizing it as a great match. She could tell right away that it was an adoption that was meant to be. “Bagel is a sweet, happy puppy,” Megan says. “Some dogs get scared when they see a wheelchair, especially when they see the wheels move. But not Bagel.”
SETTING THE WHEELS IN MOTION
There’s plenty of time for Bagel and Cougar to achieve greatness together, and soon Bagel will begin training to become a certified service dog. For now, Cougar is making sure that Bagel gets the chance to enjoy just being a puppy, something he didn’t get to do when he lived in a cramped kennel at the shelter. The energetic dog is also in the process of making friends with the two family cats. It has been a lesson in patience for Bagel, who must wait until both of the felines are ready to fully embrace his zest for life. Until then, he spends cherished time in Cougar’s room or romping in the yard. And if it’s hot outside, he hops in the kiddie pool and cools off — his favorite thing to do.
Having Bagel around has helped Colleen become more active, too, and that has brought tremendous joy to Cougar. Ever since her son’s accident, Colleen has made sacrifices to help him reach the point of being the athlete he is today. “My mom works really hard,” Cougar says. “She’s a full-time caregiver and the head of the household. She takes care of everyone, and now that we have Bagel, she can get out more.”
Meanwhile, Cougar has been researching service-dog training programs in Atlanta. He recently found one that not only works with shelter dogs like Bagel, but has trainers who are familiar with competitive racing and can teach Bagel the special skills required to accompany Cougar out on the course.
This is groundbreaking stuff, to be sure. Once Bagel is a certified service dog and starts joining Cougar (who rides a speciallydesigned bike that has a place for Bagel to sit), he will be one of a small number of dogs nationwide trained to take part in competitive races alongside athletes with special needs. The service-dog coursework is extensive and, let’s face it, costly. But in true Cougar form, nothing is going to stop him from making sure that Bagel gets the chance to take part in this specialized training. To that end, Cougar is currently raising funds, and once he reaches his monetary goal, Bagel will be on the road to becoming a certified service dog. And Cougar will have a friend beside him all the way. (Heck, they both will.)
There are few guarantees in life and one of them is this: We will all go through tough times. It’s inevitable. In those challenging moments — the emotional, the physical or the ones that straddle both — we have a choice. We can give up or keep going. Cougar and Bagel chose the latter — they focused forward and stayed the course. Now the course they’re both on is the racecourse, and neither could be happier.
We can give up or keep going. Cougar and Bagel chose the latter - they focused forward and stayed the course.