Reid was born without the lower part of his right leg. He is classified as a trans-tibial amputee, or “below-knee amputee.” He’s also got a rare disorder called Prune Belly Syndrome, which means he’s missing some abdominal muscles.
Neither has stopped him from being active.
Five times a week, Reid Maxwell swims with the Olympian Swim Club in St. Albert. He prefers freestyle and butterfly. He’s done it competitively for four years. He also cycles with the Juventus Cycling Club and snowboards with CADS (Canadian Adaptive SnowSports). He’s done several triathlons.
Reid Maxwell and his teammates arrive at their junior peewee football game at the Millwoods recreation centre field. (Epic Photography )
The eleven-year-old has just always been into sports. “Before he could walk, he was on a tricycle,” said Duncan Maxwell, Reid’s Dad.
“He was riding a tricycle when he was 12 months old,” added his mom, Fiona. “Trying to push it before he even got his first leg. Trying to get it to go.”
Reid Maxwell with his dad, Duncan Maxwell, before the final football game of the Colt’s season. (Epic Photography )
So it shouldn’t have been a total shock when Reid told his parents that he wanted to play football.
But still. Football?
“I was a little scared. He caught me by surprise there,” said Fiona Maxwell. “I wasn’t expecting football to come into play, but we figured, ‘Let’s find some extra padding for his stomach and go for it.’ He loves it. It’s been the best thing for him.”
Reid got interested in football when one of the St. Albert Minor Football coaches did a presentation at his school.
“I really wanted to play the year before when he came, so I asked my mom, and she was like, ‘If the doctor says OK, then yeah, fine.'”
On this October night, the peewee St. Albert Colts are playing against the Wetaskiwin Warriors at Millwoods Field.
The tight-end and left tackle says his coaches are amazing —even though they’ve never coached someone with a limb difference, like him.
“The kids on this team all play together as brothers,” says coach Erick Aragon. (Epic Photography )
“I really like both my coaches, cause they’re both extremely supportive and really helped me run, figure out my cadence… stuff like that.”
Reid would like to be faster, sure, but it doesn’t affect his attitude.
“I can’t run nearly as fast as the other people, but I can tackle just as hard.”
“I can’t run nearly as fast as the other people, but I can tackle just as hard,” says Reid. (Epic Photography )
One of his coaches, Erick Aragon, didn’t notice that Reid had a prosthetic leg until the third practice.
When other kids do notice, the Colts are supportive.
“The kids on this team all play together as brothers,” said Aragon.
There was an incident against another team where kids were talking about knocking ‘his leg off,’ the coach said.
“So, Will, one of the defensive captains, he heard it and then everyone else got riled up on the team and called a time-out,” Aragon said. “It’s good to see that the team has his back.”
The Colts huddle before their final game of the season at the Millwoods recreation centre field on Oct. 20. (Epic Photography )
While the leg might be the thing other people notice, it’s not what concerns his parents most. Prune Belly Syndrome affects the kidneys.
“You’re always concerned about his kidneys — if he gets more bladder infections, his kidney function could decrease and ultimately lead to transplant,” said Fiona Maxwell. “His kidneys are doing well, so hopefully that doesn’t happen.”
Reid’s come a long way since the beginning of the season.
“He’s improved his tackling a lot. When he was coming in the first little bit of the football season, he was coming in high,” said Aragon.
“So now he’s getting in low, he’s wrapping around, so it’s been good to see that he’s making tackles like that.”
Reid Maxwell decided to play football after some St. Albert Minor Football coaches did a presentation at his school. (Epic Photography )
Despite her initial concerns, football has brought Reid something different. Something better than all the individual sports he’s participated in.
The year before football had been a tough one for Reid, said Fiona.
This year has been much better — and Fiona attributes that to the Colts.
“The team has been fantastic for him as far as morale goes, and just being part of the team,” she said. “Swim team too, but swimming is an individual sport and football…you have to work together and you’re part of a group.”
The Colts haven’t won a game all season. And in this, their last game, they’re being trounced. The final score is 45-0.
It wasn’t the outcome they wanted. But, losing can be good for kids.
Reid Maxwell and his junior peewee football play their final game of the season at the Millwoods recreation centre field on Oct. 20, 2018. (Epic Photography )
“That’s just it, right?” said Fiona. “They’ve improved a lot, as a team. It’s humbling, right? If you’re winning all the time, you don’t really understand what losing’s like.”
In November, Reid, already a competitive swimmer, will be get his para classification, opening doors for him to compete in a whole new world of para-swim meets. He can also compete in integrated meets, where para-swimmers compete with everyone else.
“It makes it so I get para times instead of having to do able-peopled times,” said Reid. “So, if I do that, and if I get my provincial time, I get to go to [the provincial championship] — a bigger meet, so, I’m excited for that.”
So maybe it’s good that the St. Albert Colts had such a character-building season this year — a losing year, on paper at least.
Because it doesn’t look like Reid’s going to do much more of that in the future.
Reid’s mom, Fiona, and sister cheer Reid on from the stands. (Epic Photography )