A deep breath. The perfect throw. The shot sits under his jaw, at the base of his fingers in his dominant hand, his other parallel to the ground, ready to swing him into momentum. The crowd’s eyes are glued to the 16-pound ball as it soars. The ball plops on the sand at the 21-foot and 11-inch mark, the throw that won Landyn Bomar first place at the 2024 State Track and Field Meet—additionally winning fourth place in the 100-meter race for the second year in a row with a time of 25.10 seconds.
Bomar, an 18-year-old senior at Lakota East, has made it to the state-level competition each year since the 2022-23 season, when he first joined track and field. He has competed in the seated shot-put and the 100-meter race both years at state as a paraplegic athlete.
Bomar was diagnosed with Spina bifida and epilepsy as a child, being told by doctors that he would never walk.
“I was diagnosed with Spina bifida at birth, but was later diagnosed with epilepsy when I was five,” Bomar told Spark. “A nurse in [my kindergarten class] had noticed me repeating stuff and complimenting people all the time and that’s when I got diagnosed.”
Spina bifida is a birth defect in which an area of the spinal column does not form properly, leaving a section of the spinal cord and spinal nerves exposed through an opening in the back, according to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Spina bifida occurs in 1 per 2,000 live births in the United States and is the most common central nervous system birth defect. Epilepsy — also known as a seizure disorder — is a brain condition that causes recurring seizures, according to the Mayo Clinic. Almost three million US adults have epilepsy in 2024.
Bomar has overcome these hurdles and proven he can do anything by participating in the same sports and activities as his peers, despite his disability. In addition to track and field, Bomar participated in sled hockey at age six, and wheelchair basketball up until 2021, his freshman year of high school.
Bomar’s former wheelchair basketball teammate, Jamie Stanford, was the one who inspired and recommended that Bomar initially join track and field. Because of the special bond they formed while playing together on a team, Bomar took his advice. Currently, Stanford attends Whitewater Wisconsin University for wheelchair basketball.
Transitioning to track and field was easy for Bomar. He started on the Junior Varsity (JV) Track and Field team and did the seated shot-put and the 100-meter race. Then almost immediately, he advanced to the varsity team due to his excellent times and performance.
Bomar’s practice routine for upcoming meets is disciplined and often requires a variety of training techniques. In the off-season, for example, Bomar trains in the weight room from 3-4 P.M. a few days a week.
“We work out different muscle groups every day,” said Bomar. “One day will be chest and biceps, the next day back and biceps, and triceps.”
In-season training and practice is a little different for Bomar. Darryn Chenault, Bomar’s track and field coach for the past two years, works with him during training and practice to prepare him for his meets.
“[Bomar] uses the weight room with our trainer Tom and then he comes out to the field and we do a lot of stretching,” Chenault told Spark. “We use a lot of bands to get his mobility together and then set up whatever the day’s event would be for him.”
Sometimes, these workouts consist of repetitions (reps) of 100-meter dashes in his wheelchair on the track, reps of dashes on the field to build Bomar’s strength, and more stretching afterward as a cool-down.
To qualify for the state track and field competition, athletes must compete in qualifying rounds at the district and regional levels. Only after qualifying at those levels are athletes considered to compete at the state level. In Bomar’s case, he met the criteria for the regional meet during his district meet, allowing him to skip the regional meet and go straight to the state competition from the district meet.
The qualifications athletes are required to meet for the seated shot put state competition is a minimum throw of nine feet, and in the 100-meter race, a time of under 40 seconds. Bomar almost tripled the qualifying metrics for state and had an impressive warm-up throw before his competition began.
“In warm-ups at the state meet, Landyn probably threw his best-ever throw,” said Chenault. “In my heart, it was a throw over 24 feet unofficially. Nobody measured it, but I knew when he launched it that he was ready to go.”
Skill and talent are major components for athletes when making it to high-level competition such as state, but so is work ethic. Bomar’s grit and determination are reflected in the hard work he puts into everything that he does on and off the track.
“Landyn’s work ethic is by far the best and I’ve been coaching kids for the longest [time],” said Chenault. “Watching Landyn come out and prepare himself mentally and physically for whatever the workout is [is] exemplary. He’s just a guy that loves the work of it. A type of young man that’s going to grind no matter what.”
A major support system for Bomar has been his family. Bomar has three siblings, Mason, Kailee, and Mallory Bomar, two of which are graduates of East. Bomar’s mother and number one fan, Angel Bomar, has always noticed how strong Bomar is.
“He has shown us that no matter what he goes through he can bounce back stronger,” Angel told Spark.
The motto #LandynStrong was a hashtag and campaign made by Angel to symbolize Bomar’s positive attitude and how Bomar can do anything he puts his mind to, inspiring his family and the community.
“He has taught me to be positive,” said Angel. “Watching his medical conditions and struggles has made me a better person. Doctors can’t explain how he does what he does so we always say Landyn is writing his [own] book.”
After high school, Bomar hopes to continue his track and field excellence at the University of Cincinnati. Bomar’s strength and growth throughout his athletic career have inspired his peers to follow his example. His kindness and willingness to help others is what makes the name “Landyn” so recognizable.
Bomar was also recognized on Sept. 20th, 2024 during the Walk of Champions down Main Street at East for his placement of first place at the Track and Field State Competition and was celebrated for his hard work and commitment to the sports that he loves.
