UND football captain Hunter Pinke transferring to Arizona to compete in adapted track and field
May 6—The idea hit Hunter Pinke this fall.
He tweeted Sept. 21, "Random thought for the day .. now that I have a legitimate chance, I think I wanna compete at the Olympics. (Really hoping I quote this 4-6 years from now)."
"I was never good enough of an athlete to be at the Olympics, but maybe I have a shot at Paralympics," Pinke said of his thinking that day. "It got like (586) likes. I thought, well shoot, I might have to try to do this."
So the UND football captain, who severed his spine in a skiing accident in December 2019, has decided to enroll at the University of Arizona to compete in adapted track and field and road-racing, he announced Wednesday, May 5.
Pinke will graduate from UND this spring.
After his accident, Pinke was rehabbing at Craig Hospital in the Denver area, where he spoke with a Paralympian who sparked his interest.
#BearDown
Excited to join @uarizona @AZATHLETICS @UArizonaCAPLA pic.twitter.com/8bvIJUjd7m
— HP (@hunter_pinke) May 5, 2021
Pinke last fall started looking at other sports, and pinpointed two that best fit his classification of injury: rowing and adaptive track and field.
He found three schools with adaptive track and field: Penn State, Illinois and Arizona.
Arizona coach Derek Brown called.
"In our first conversation, I knew that's where I wanted to go," Pinke said. "They have beautiful facilities specific to adaptive sports ... not to mention the weather is OK in Tucson."
Pinke, who was accepted to Arizona's architecture school, needed to bring his own racing chair to Arizona, and they're expensive. So, he applied for some grants and was able to get enough money to buy a racing chair, which is being delivered to him this week.
Part 1 of @tommillergf's series from Denver on UND football player Hunter Pinke: https://t.co/r3Wj3R71Ra
— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) February 26, 2020
Although Arizona does have adaptive athletic scholarships, Pinke will walk-on to the program.
"I'm kind of betting on myself here," he said. "I feel like I'm a quick learner and have the right mindset. I wouldn't give me money, either. I've never got into a racing wheelchair. But that's the way I want it. I want to earn it and see if I can do it."
Pinke will travel to Tucson in early August.
Adaptive track and field has nearly every event a regular track and field program might have, including throwing events and running events with the racing wheelchair.
"I'll figure out what kind of athlete I'll be when I'm down there," Pinke said. "(Brown) said a lot of times the races you'll compete in are the same ones you did as a regular track athlete. For me, that was 400 and 800. A lot of people wince when I say that but those are my type. It takes a little bit of grit and grind-your-teeth at the end."
Pinke has been working out in Grand Forks at Altru Sports Performance since August, about two or three times per week.
Part 2 of 3: "So I'm not sure what (my life plans) are going to be, but I know that it's going to be big. I can assure you of that. Whatever it might be, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. It's going to be big." https://t.co/vGMZ9MMRzP
— Tom Miller (@tommillergf) February 27, 2020
After UND graduation, he'll train four or five times per week in Grand Forks.
"I just have to put on some miles," Pinke said. "How do you shoot a basketball? You pick up a ball and find a basket. How do you learn how to race in a wheelchair? Get in and start rolling. That's my plan."
Pinke said he's grateful for the opportunity to do something not many have the chance to do.
"I feel fortunate to train at a top-notch program with a chance to potentially go to the Paralympics and compete for a gold medal," Pinke said. "Saying that sounds crazy right now, but I'm really grateful to be in this position. Sixteen months ago, if you said this is happening, I'd say hold up. That's too much. Easy. I'm going to try to get out of bed. To now be in this position, I'm extremely grateful.
"I'm really focused and locked in. I've been a college football player for the past four, five years, and I've had (UND football coach Bubba Schweigert) preaching day-by-day, stay focused, so it's ingrained in me to keep your eyes on the daily work. I'm really locked into getting in shape and making the most of it."
PART 3 of 3: "I really don't want this story to be about me. I don't want it to be a reflection of me. I'd rather have it reflect on the goodness of God and how I'm still alive and look how people have come together." https://t.co/4v2TvI0ThM
— Tom Miller (@tommillergf) February 28, 2020
