YORKTOWN — A blink of an eye can completely change someone’s life. This is the story of Peter Reid, how one such moment happened to him, and how he kept moving forward despite the sudden change.
Before experiencing a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Reid was an athlete. He played for William & Mary on the football team, and after graduation, his old high school reached out to him and asked him if he wanted to be a coach and teacher, a position he accepted.
In 1994, Reid was in a car accident that resulted in a TBI. According to VersAbility, a nonprofit provider of comprehensive services for people with disabilities of all ages, he had to relearn how to eat, walk, and speak. But that wasn’t something that would stop him.
“Peter, you know, he’s just such an upbeat guy,” said Shane Sullivan, director of government contracts and advocacy at VersAbility Resources. “He’s always smiling. Nothing ever gets him down. I mean, you would never know that he had a disability. He’s just so upbeat, but he did work.”
Prior to working with VersAbility, Reid tried his hand at various jobs, including a long stint at Home Depot, where he found his memory limitations made retaining employment a challenge. Then, Reid heard about VersAbility.
The nonprofit, headquartered in Hampton, Virginia, says it serves more than 1,500 people with disabilities annually in the Hampton Roads region, the 10 counties on the Middle Peninsula and beyond.
Reid researched online with a clear idea of what he wanted — something physical and outdoors — and at VersAbility, he found a job he wanted to try.
Five years later, Reid still works that job as a part of VersAbility’s grounds contract at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. Reid performs ground maintenance, including mowing, pruning and road sweeping. It is a job that draws on the leadership skills he developed as a coach, mentoring colleagues with disabilities and helping them discover their own strengths.
To learn more about VersAbility Resources and its various programs, visit its official website.
