Teen who carried brother on his back for 57 miles receives award

DETROIT (WOOD) – A Michigan teen who carried his brother on his back for more than 50 miles to raise awareness for cerebral palsy accepted the first ever Sports Illustrated High School Athlete of the Year award.

Hunter Gandee tweeted a picture from the awards ceremony in New York early Wednesday morning with the caption “What a night…Thank you Sports Illustrated.”

In June, Gandee finished a 57-mile journey carrying his younger brother Braden, who has cerebral palsy, on his back. A year prior to that, Gandee carried his brother for 40 miles. Gandee was just 14 at the time.

The walks called the “Cerebral Palsy Swagger” were part of an effort to raise awareness about cerebral palsy, a disorder that can affect movement, posture and muscle coordination.

Gandee is a sophomore at Bedford High School, which is located in Temperance near the Michigan-Ohio border.