Gary Hershey, who graduated from Solanco High School in 1976, says “I would not change anything. I have no regrets. I believe everything happens for a reason!” Hershey was just a junior at Solanco High School when he was nearly killed and left partially paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. Since graduating Solanco High School, he has gone on to achieve remarkable success as a radio broadcaster, businessman, wheelchair athlete and motivational speaker. Hershey will be the Distinguished Speaker at this year’s graduation ceremonies for the Solanco Class of 2011.
Hershey has lived in Arizona since 1979. He is Vice President of Symbius Medical Company.
When he started with Symbius, a medical supplies business, ten years ago it had two employees. It is now one of the top medical supply companies in the country with 102 employees. In 2000, Hershey received the prestigious “Man of the Year” award from the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Following wrestling practice on November 29, 1974, Hershey was riding his motorcycle to work when a car pulled in front of him and Hershey was totally paralyzed and could not breathe without a respirator.
He missed the rest of his junior year; he received tutoring while home on weekends from rehabilitation. In August of 1975, Hershey checked himself out of rehabilitation so he could attend Solanco for his senior year. He graduated with his classmates in 1976.
“My years at Solanco High School are nothing but great memories, despite the accident.”
Hershey played football and soccer, and wrestled for three years at Solanco. He learned a lot from wrestling coaches Ivan Steele and Bruce Monteleone, and high school principal Dr. John Taddie. He said there were great teachers at Solanco who had an impact on his life.
Hershey came to Arizona in 1979, when his family was visited the area and enjoyed the “perfect weather,” and his parents decided to move to Arizona. “The move was great for me because I no longer had to deal with cold and snow in a wheelchair.”
Prompted by an ad Hershey attended radio broadcasting school. Graduating at the top of his class, he began an 18-year career in radio that included managing major-market stations and met many celebrities over the years.
Coincidentally, during his radio career, he also met Dwight Knox, the owner of Symbius Medical Company, who invited Hershey to work with him at Symbius. Hershey accepted. The company has flourished during the past 10 years.
Hershey is also president of the Spinal Cord Association of Arizona. He has strengthened its peer mentoring program which reaches out to people who suffer spinal cord injuries. Hershey visits people in the hospital shortly after they are injured, which he calls a “critical time” because they have lots of concerns and are very uncertain about their futures. Hershey stresses that if they take care of the selves they can live a long and productive life.
Hershey and the Spinal Cord Association make the necessary arrangements so the injured, soon after their release from the hospital, can attend Arizona Diamondbacks, Suns (NBA) and Cardinals (NFL) games. “We work to keep them active, to help them be productive citizens, to go to school, to find careers and do things.”
He leads by example. As a wheelchair athlete, Hershey has “bungee jumped out of a hot air balloon” and participated in “other crazy activities that I will discuss during my presentation at graduation.” Hershey has played on wheelchair softball teams and has won four world championships!
Additionally, Hershey mentors police officers who have been shot in the line of duty and has twice has received the coveted “Barrier Busters” award from the Arizona chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
As a motivational speaker, Hershey says “I share my experiences and my story with hundreds of other people about living with spinal cord injuries.” Concerning the scene of his motorcycle accident, Church and Fourth streets in Quarryville, Hershey says “I take credit for the traffic light at that intersection, it wasn’t there at the time of my accident.”
His presentation at Solanco graduation will include the challenges he has encountered and his accomplishments. “It will be an honor for me to come back and stand on the Solanco football field. I feel great. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world!”
Graduation ceremonies are scheduled to be held on the Solanco High School football field at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 9.
