Name: Zach Gault
Age: 22
Where do you call home? North Carolina
Education (degree(s): I have an Associates in Arts Degree
Who do you live with? I currently live with my older brother.
What’s a typical day for you? A typical day for me would be waking up and eating breakfast then showering. I watch TV, eat lunch, play Xbox sometimes and then go to the gym at night depending on how I’m feeling that day.
How long have you known you are living with FA? I was diagnosed with FA when I was 14 years old. I was diagnosed through genetic testing.
Are there any others with FA in your family? No other people in my family have FA.
Describe your transition from walking to walker/wheelchair. I haven’t really used a walker but I did get a wheelchair for longer distances such as going to the store. I can still kind of walk without a walker, but I am looking into getting one.
What do you like to do to stay active and what type of exercises work for you to stay strong? I enjoy going to the gym so I pretty much work everything on machines. I don’t really work my legs but I am going to start which is another reason why I got the wheelchair.
Do you have any hobbies or special interests? I don’t really have any hobbies besides going to the gym, but I do love watching college and professional football, and I am the biggest New Orleans Saints fan.
When FA gets you down, what do you think/do to feel better? When FA gets me down, I usually just listen to music in my bed or hang out with my friends.
What is one way living with FA has POSITIVELY affected your life? One positive thing about FA is that I think that it helped me mature faster than other people who don’t have it.
What is a favorite motivational quote of yours? If what you did yesterday seems big, then you haven’t done anything today.
What is the best advice YOU could give to a person who has been newly diagnosed with FA? It may get you down at times but don’t push away friends that are there for you and try to help you out.
What is the first thing you want to do when a cure/treatment to FA is found? The first thing I would want to do when a cure to FA is found is RUN again!
“I have FA but FA doesn’t have me.” What does this statement mean to you? How do you live your life in the face of adversity? This statement means to me that just because you have a disability, it doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. I live my life in the face of adversity by not caring too much about what others may think.
Tell us a little more about you… I am currently still trying to find a job as it is very hard with what is going on in the world right now. In my free time I enjoy going to the gym, watching twitch, play Xbox and hanging out with friends and family.
Interview by
Noah Griffith