 |
| Drake with TenPoint's VP of Sales Randy Wood |
Drake Taylor, or “Little D”, might be small in size, but he is a giant when it comes to enthusiasm, ambition, and spirit. He was born with a rare form of dwarfism, called Osteodysplastic Primordial Dwarfism (MOPDII) and stands just 39-inches tall at seventeen years of age. Recently, he was also diagnosed with MoyaMoya, a rare blood vessel disorder of the brain. He has under gone three re-vascular brain surgeries and recovered with amazing grace. Despite his size and disorders, Drake is passionate about many things in life, including fishing, painting, participating in Special Olympic sports, and designing jewelry. Most of all, though, he is passionate about hunting!
At only 40-pounds, however, he had become frustrated with the recoil of his 20-gauge shotgun and knew he needed a different piece of equipment to enjoy his hunting opportunities. After talking with TenPoint and learning about their crossbows at the ATA and SHOT Show, Drake knew what he wanted and TenPoint’s Engineering Department agreed to custom-fit a stock to him.
 |
| Drake with TenPoint's Mike Shaffer and Director of Business Development Chuck Jordan |
Mike Shaffer, TenPoint’s Engineering Manager, used a number of critical measurements to create a mock-up computer model of an existing 6 Point Series stock. This model was used to estimate where material could be removed from the butt stock to fit Drake. Shortening it required cutting it into four sections and machining three of the sections flat for better fit-up. Then, the butt plate and comb were attached to the remaining section. The completed stock measured 4-5/8" shorter than the original 6 Point stock and the re-positioned comb allowed for a forward cheek position. The position of the scope only changed slightly because the crossbow was fitted with a 40mm multi-dot scope with no eye relief requirements.
 |
| Drake with TenPoint's Barb Terry and Missy Sharrone |
After receiving the crossbow, Drake, his mom, Beverly, and his dad, Randy, had a one-hour private training session with TenPoint’s Barb Terry at the IL Deer and Turkey Classic in March. Barb provided Drake with instructions on how to safely use a crossbow, properly sight one in and shoot it, how to choose the correct arrow/broadhead combination, and select the right target. The entire family also learned how to use TenPoint’s ACUrope and SteddyEddy. With some practice, Drake consistently hit the bull's-eye. Later that afternoon, he even provided crossbow shooting advice to his neighbor who stopped by the show!
With the help of TenPoint, Drake has accomplished many of his hunting goals. Since January 2011, he has harvested a turkey, a wild hog, and a Texas Dahl ram – all with his custom-fit TenPoint crossbow.
 |
| Drake with his Texas Dahl Ram |
The new crossbow has given him opportunities that he never thought would be possible. The time and support the TenPoint staff gave to him forever changed his life.
In between his hunting trips, Drake designs and creates jewelry for his company, Little “D” Designs. The company features unique wildlife beaded jewelry that can be viewed at www.littleddesigns.com.
Drake is also a member of the Dunlap Dynamite 4-H Club and the Dunlap Eagles Special Olympics team.
His desire to explore and seek new adventures has helped him overcome his physical and cognitive challenges. His determination and spirit helps him excel and accomplish his many goals and dreams.
 |
| Drake with his turkey |
To learn more about TenPoint, visit www.tenpointcrossbows.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment