LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Each year October 6 is set aside as World Cerebral Palsy day. There are over 17 million people in the world who live with cerebral palsy. This year, in an effort to raise awareness and celebrate the diversity of our community,  we wanted to take a moment to recognize one member of our Biola Athletics family who thrives while living with CP, Brandon Taylor.

The theme of this year's World CP Day is "Make Your Mark." The goal of the movement is to both raise awareness of cerebral palsy and those impacted by it, but also to demonstrate how people with cerebral palsy have mastered dealing with change, breaking down barriers, and coming up with creative solutions their whole lives. 

CP is a permanent disability that affects movement. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement. It is a complex disability where 1-in-4 with CP cannot talk, 1-in-4 cannot walk, 1-in-2 have an intellectual disability and 1-in-4 have epilepsy. CP is a lifelong disability and there is no known cure.

Brandon Taylor has been involved with the Biola Athletics department in some facet since he first arrived to campus as an undergraduate student during the 2010-11 school year. He worked as a student worker while completing his undergraduate education and then worked as the Sports Information Assistant while completing a master's degree in the Talbot School of Theology's Institute of Spiritual Formation.

Since August 2017, Taylor has been in his current role as Assistant Sports Information director, serving as the direct game management and sports information contact for men and women's soccer, women's basketball, men and women's tennis, baseball and women's golf and helping to serve all varsity programs at Biola.

His work was recognized when Biola earned the 2018-19 PacWest Conference Sports Information Office of the Year award. Taylor also serves Biola as a Spiritual Director, works with several diversity and inclusion and student development committees outside the athletic department and in fall 2020 began coursework towards his Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership and Spiritual Formation at Portland Seminary .

He has had spastic hemiplegic CP since birth, which hinders the dexterity of his right hand and foot and limits muscle development on the right side of his body. 

"Brandon does not let cerebral palsy slow him down one bit," said Neil Morgan, associate athletic director for compliance and communication. "He is tremendously successful in his role and is one of the most intentionally relational staff members in our department. His heart to serve our group and the Biola community as a whole is clearly visible to those who interact with him."

Additionally, Brandon is known as a workhorse and mainstay in Biola's weight room. Even though CP is a condition that impacts movement and mobility, Taylor shows up each day to put in the work needed to meet his goals. His work ethic and relentlessness is something that caught the eye of Biola's Director of Sport Performance, Frank Ramirez.

"I have never seen Brandon playing. I've never seen him limit himself at all in anything he does from a physical standpoint," said Ramirez. "He pushes himself. He never sits there feeling sorry for himself, and he never ever makes excuses. I never ever see him cut himself short in any way.

Ramirez mentioned seeing Taylor in the weight room at least three times a week, and outdoors conditioning at least two times a week. He lauded the fact that he never sees him struggling and noted even with the limitations from CP that Taylor does absolutely everything he can.

Taylor's tenacity to push through any limitations is exactly what the "Make Your Mark" campaign centered around World Cerebral Palsy Day 2020 is seeking to demonstrate. People who live with cerebral palsy may live life differently abled, but it's a community who lives life vibrantly, lives life to its fullest and continually pushes to adapt to any challenges that come.

Brandon's been a tremendous example of that during his time at Biola, whether it's in the long days running home athletic events, late nights writing recaps or updating record books or simply by blowing past others with his work in the weight room.

Earlier this year he participated in Biola SAAC's Hear My Heart campaign where he shared about the confluence in his life of living with CP, some about his family history and more about how he is looking to enter into this current climate of racial reconciliation. His goal, and that of the department this year, is to go deeper together. Let's use today, World Cerebral Palsy Day, as another chance to do just that.

"I am humbled to have the Biola Athletics community commemorate World Cerebral Palsy Day with me and my family," said Taylor. "And I thank God for the way He has turned my expression of CP into a blessing for my life. It has deepened my Christian faith and made me realize just how much of a gift it has been to work in collegiate athletics."

If you have recommendations for other members of the Biola Athletics community who could be a spotlight feature during this time away from sport, please email neil.morgan@biola.edu.

For more information on World Cerebral Palsy Day, more inspiring stories and more information on cerebral palsy in general, please visit https://worldcpday.org/.