By Nathan Vickers
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OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (KCTV) — The Chiefs have found the end zone more than any other team in the NFL this season and each new touchdown provides a touch of inspiration for a local fan.
This season, James McGinnis has done pull-ups after every Chiefs game. He gets one for every touchdown the team has scored during the season.
“I love the Chiefs, all of them,” McGinnis said. “I was thinking, ‘How could I challenge myself?'”
He knew early on that keeping up with Mahomes and company could be quite a challenge. His father, Patrick McGinnis, was a little skeptical at first.
“I was like, ‘You know that’s a lot, right?’ And he said, ‘I just have to believe it.’”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to do about 70,” James moaned.
As of the Jaguars game, he made it to 61 and hopes to make many more after a win over the Bengals and a trip to the Super Bowl.
The feat is especially impressive when you consider the injury McGinnis has been recovering from for more than seven years.
During a high school football game, McGinnis suffered a subdural hematoma. The brain injury almost killed him. He was hospitalized, nearly paralyzed, for several weeks.
“From only being able to move my hand to where I am today, I view pretty much everything as a privilege,” she said.
McGinnis’ recovery has been steady, improving rapidly over the past year thanks to stem cell treatments. He has better motor skills than before. She is walking long distances and even painting. She is in fact working on her second contribution for the KC Parade of Hearts.
He’s also working on getting his driver’s license.
Through it all, McGinnis has worked to spread a message of love and acceptance. He makes regular appearances at churches and schools as a motivational speaker.
For him, pull-ups are part of that mission.
“I just hope and pray that everyone feels loved and encouraged by this,” she said.
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