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Giles County teen trains for Wounded Warriors Project 5K after severe leg injury

Carson Campos perseveres through injury for a cause

GILES CO, Va. – Carson Campos is a sophomore at Giles High School.

A two-sport athlete, this year during a football scrimmage, he had an injury like no other.

“As my friend and I were double teaming a guy, we brought him to our left and I heard a couple pops and then my femur was broke,” Carson said.

He had broken his leg in three different places.

“I had surgery the day after,” said Carson. “They put a rod in my leg and a couple screws.”

I talked to his mom about this and she said this is something she prayed would never happen anytime he was on the field.

“It broke my heart immediately,” said Billie Jean Nichols.

But even though his leg is broken in three different places, Carson has not just been sitting idle while it heals.

He is training for a 5k run, and every time before physical therapy, he comes to the Huckleberry Trail in Blacksburg to train with his mom.

“It’s hard on your shoulders but it’s not horrible,” Carson said.

“Initially, I started pushing him,” Nichols said. “That was incredibly hard. We found some flat on the trail and he was able to navigate that really well.”

Before breaking his leg, Carson dreamed of joining the military.

While that is still a possibility if all heals well, while he’s recovering, he wants to raise as much money as possible for the Wounded Warrior Project

“I just wanted to do this because it runs in my family, and it is just a big important thing to me,” Carson said.

Throughout this entire journey, he has leaned on his faith to stay positive and heal.

“God has helped me a lot through this,” Carson said. “He’s healed me and he’s working in me”

He said this has all been part of god’s plan.

If you’d like to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project ahead of the 5k you can find Carson’s donation page here.


About the Author
Thomas Mundy headshot

Thomas grew up right here in Roanoke and is a graduate of Salem High School and Virginia Tech.

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