A 16-year-old boy who carried his nine-year-old brother on his back over a 100-kilometre, three-day adventure course has been named Sports Illustrated magazine’s high school athlete of the year.
[Sports Illustrated](http://www.si.com/high-school/video/2015/12/14/high-school-athlete-year-hunter-gandee-wrestling|
target=”_blank”) said Hunter Gandee has exemplified the ideals of sport.
Hunter, who attends Bedford High in Temperance, Michigan, carried his 9-year-old brother Braden, who has cerebral palsy, on his back to raise money for a playground for kids who use wheelchairs.
Braden is unable to walk, but the new playground has wheelchair-friendly rubber flooring and ramps, so he can now join his friends at recess.
The three-day trek, dubbed the Cerebal Palsy Swagger, raised more than $200,000.
Hunter said: “Having Braden on my back symbolizes the relationship we have and the power we have when people come together.
“We’re not superhuman, we’re just two brothers, and we had an idea. And the only difference from us and a lot of other kids is that we went out and tried it.”
Braden said: “He’s made a lot of change in the world, and he’s just one high school kid. So if everyone could be like that, then the world will be a great place.”
Gandee will receive his award at a Sports Illustrated gala in New York next week.
Watch Hunter and Braden’s beautiful story here.
