The comeback kid: Bailey Trinder returns to Foundation | Observer Preps

As Bailey Trinder traversed the concrete walkways at Foundation Academy, his electric wheelchair whirred with power.

His daily stroll from class to class required stops every now and then as he was met with fist bumps and hugs from fellow students happy to see him back.

It had been five months since a car accident left him paralyzed, and it was the first time in a long while he was able to attend classes with his friends.

The anticipation of this moment — of being back in school — was so immense for Trinder that his nerves almost got the best of him.

“It was really nerve-wracking — I remember that whole weekend I was like, ‘I’m not really feeling this, I don’t want to do this,’” Trinder said. “‘I mean, I want to go back and see everybody, and see all the teachers and just get back to normal, but I don’t want to cause a scene — I don’t want to be the center of attention.’”

Leading up to Trinder’s return Monday, Jan. 7, the junior battled his nerves. 

But he wasn’t alone.

For his parents, Brian and Betsy, it was almost like their son was starting school for the first time.

“It was pretty exciting for us, because we are trying to get back to some sense of normalcy, but it was funny, because we referred to it as, ‘Here is our junior, and it’s like the first day of kindergarten all over again,’” Brian said. “It was really hard for me and my wife.”

The uncertainty and anxiety that came with the first week back to school ended up melting away as Trinder found himself back in his routine. In fact, the normalcy hit during the first class Monday morning.

“Once I actually got in — got into class — and saw some friends and I realized I was OK, it was a normal school day,” Trinder said. “I really over-exaggerated. I was like, ‘I’m not going to fit through the hallway, I’m nervous I’m going to hit somebody.’

“Someone opened the door for me, and I went out and there was a clear path — everyone just kind of shook my hand,” he said. “I was like, ‘OK, this isn’t bad.’”

The road back to school started months ago, said Foundation Academy Principal Lisa Bacon. Although the school, his teammates and the Foundation community as a whole were rocked by Trinder’s accident, they all knew — even when there were doubts early on — he would eventually make it back to them. And when he came back, things needed to be perfectly in place.

While still at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Bacon and Tim Covey, the school’s director of guidance and college placement, sat with Trinder in his room to figure things out.

“Our goal, and his goal, is that he is going to graduate on time — so how do we accomplish that?” Bacon said. “He really picked up the ball and ran with it in the sense of jumping in and deciding, ‘I’m determined to do this, I’m going to get my academics underway.’”

Following that decision, Trinder jumped into his studies, while Bacon and the school made things easier for him wherever they could.

“It was really nerve-wracking — I remember that whole weekend I was like, ‘I’m not really feeling this, I don’t want to do this.’” ‘I mean, I want to go back and see everybody, and see all the teachers and just get back to normal, but I don’t want to cause a scene — I don’t want to be the center of attention.’”

— Bailey Trinder

Over the next several months, Trinder worked on schooling from home. In the meantime, the school looked at preparing for his return to class, especially as it related to equipment.

“(We were) trying to figure out how to best order desks that are suitable for him that are non-intrusive — I didn’t want him to go into a classroom and feel different,” Bacon said.

Although things will be different in some ways, having everything now in place for Trinder allows for a bit more of a normal a routine for him. 

It’s a welcome change for him and his family. But for the teammate who inspired a community with a simple hashtag of “Bailey Strong,” there’s one place he’s ready to get back to: the sidelines of the football field, where he’ll be assisting with the offensive line.

“I found a spot where I could see my (offensive) line,” said Trinder, who was able to see his team play this past season. “I could see what everyone was doing, and I was like, ‘OK, I see this kid’s opponent is a little faster than him,’ so I would pull him to the side and be like, ‘Take a quick step back.’ I think it was a huge benefit to have that perspective.”

Although there’s a bit of time left before he will be able to enjoy some fresh air out on the sidelines, there is one thing Trinder has taken in that means the world to him — his school.

“I didn’t even realize how much support I had from them (the school),” Trinder said. “I remember all my friends coming, all the students, the volleyball team and the football team. It was just huge on how much support I actually have from my school.”