The endless hours that Wally Frost spent hitting grounders and roughhousing with his five children produced more than an album of faded photographs and memories. His own athletic intuition, enthusiasm, and firm, but gentle, coaching built five tough competitors, all of whom are facing prominent sports careers.
Like other fathers, Wally is proud of his children. Unlike other fathers, Wally is confined to a wheelchair and has been ever since he was diagnosed with polio 35 years ago.
He was an accomplished athlete in his own right when he was stricken and left paralyzed from the waist down. Twenty years old, brash, and confident, Wally had returned from military service in World War II determined not to let the changing times in any way divert his lifelong dream: the dream of becoming a professional football player.
He enrolled at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. His 235-pound, 6'4" frame made him a natural for the college football tem and he quickly proved himself adept at executing plays mapped out by the coach. That skill earned him a spot on the varsity team, one of only two freshmen to receive such an honor. And that 1946 football season, Wally was named as a tackle among the starters.
One day after practice, Wally noticed a tingling sensation in his legs. Gradually, a creeping paralysis took hold. Wally was ordered to bed with a burning fever and a headache. In a matter of days, Wally had lost the use of his legs, legs that had run the length of the football field so many times.
"It was completely devastating to me at first," he remembers. "I would pray to God that I would go to sleep and not wake up."
The bitterness ran deep. Sports was not just an enjoyable pastime for Wally; he thrived on it.
