Despite all the challenges life has thrown at him, senior David Broome stays hardworking, resilient, and, some might even say, indestructible–mentally and physically–pushing towards his goals in fitness, participating in JROTC, and even after high school, the military and pursuing the trades.
Broome, from a young age, has focused on his athleticism, from playing football in elementary school up to joining the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program in his freshman year, unsure of what to expect from the program.
Before JROTC came into play, Broome played football for five years, leaving around the start of his teenage years. Even after playing football for so long, the spark for playing football drifted away for a reason he could not explain.
“But I want it [football] back, but it’s a little too late,” said Broome.
Though the passion for football died out suddenly, JROTC helped fill in that gap. With a strong family history of military services, his interest in JROTC helped build his own personal interest in the military.
“My family’s history, more men have been into the military,” he said.
Broome looks up to many of the men in his family taking future career inspiration from his grandfathers.
“My great-grandfather fought in The Cold War,” he said.
With his family history taking the path of the military, he aspires to continue the tradition by following the men in his family with trades as well.
“They always try to give me advice with trades, and they always try to guide me into the right path,” said Broome.
After high school, Broome plans on pursuing a future in trade school and the military.
“Due to some medical issues, I’m interested in joining the Guard first,” he said.
Those medical issues are also a huge part of his life. Broome spoke about how his Crohn’s disease halted his physical activities for a brief period and affected his life in general, having to adjust to living with these hardships. In April of junior year Broome had a flare-up with his disease, which led him to be in the hospital for several weeks.
Crohn’s disease is a disease that affects a person’s GI-track. At this time, Broome had five organs inflamed, at one point almost needing an ostomy bag due to his colon being inflamed. Ostomy bags are something you could spend the rest of your life with, which happened to be an important talk with the doctors while Broome was in the hospital.
“I’ve had this since I was twelve years old and it’s been something I’ve learned to live with,” said Broome.
Despite the setback, his resilience continues to define him as he works towards his goals. And though so much time was spent in the hospital, and it wasn’t easy, he was occupied and helped by family throughout his time in the hospital. Broome also got the opportunity to meet people his age with the same disease with the help of his grandfather.
“My mom and grandfather would always be there, telling doctors how my past has been and even at one point my grandfather messaged an organization that he works with to help me meet kids my age with the same disease.”
Broome had not only dealt with this disease but also with family obstacles when he was younger. At points, Broome felt as though things were going downhill for him as his high school journey started.
“Especially after I got out of the hospital, I was like, ‘I can’t let this happen. I can’t have this possibility of where I can’t do anything.’”
A major source of motivation for Broome came from his stepfather, who stepped up in his life.
“He’s been there for me since my birth after my father left, and I’ve always looked at him as my father,” said Broome. “He was a marine for six years, and he loved working out.”
Looking up to his stepfather, Broome was inspired to improve physically and follow a similar path.
“He’s really like my best friend. I can go to him about whatever situation, and all in all, he’s my biggest inspiration,” Broome said.
Broome not only takes his inspiration from the men in his family but from other accomplished men like Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, whom he had the pleasure of meeting while in the hospital. Barkley is an athlete who has had many injuries himself, but even after that, he still got back up and kept playing.
“With the times I’ve been hospitalized, I keep coming back,” he said. “And at points it does progressively get worse, but at the same time, I do come back.”
