4 minute read
October 2022 Special Needs Living Akron/Canton
cover story: CHILLIN’ WITH BOBBY
Written by Melissa Klatt Photography by Michelle Herdlick
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Melissa Klatt
Michelle Herdlick
If you went out to a restaurant here in northeastern Ohio and saw someone ordering a drink who may not appear old enough … hold your horses! You likely bumped into one of the kindest people on Earth. Though his 4-foot-7 stature may throw you for a moment, Robert “Bobby” Snyder is old enough to legally enjoy that cocktail, living the last 28 years of his life giving people a reason to smile!
Speaking of Holding Horses… One of Bobby’s favorite activities is riding horses. In fact, he’s been riding at Pegasus Farm for the last 25 years, since he was a mere 3 years old! Bobby’s mom, Vicki, recounts a story from when he first started riding:
“He started riding when he was 3, and he was so small he could run underneath some of the horses! They had to use the smallest saddle they had. This built up his upper body strength. We have made so many friends over the years at the farm.”
Aside from riding horses, he’s also been swimming in the Special Olympics for 15 years! This has also increased his strength and improved his confidence. He’s won 10 gold, seven silver and eight bronze medals over the years. Bobby loves to win!
He Has a Love for Travel: Local and Beyond! One of his favorite things to do is traveling, whether it’s locally throughout northeastern Ohio trying new restaurants or going on trips to vacation spots such as Myrtle Beach and Pigeon Forge. His love of traveling even brought him to meet one of his favorite people: Dolly Parton. “Jolene” superstar Dolly Parton met Bobby in June of this year. Vicki had this to say about the trip: “In June, he got to meet Dolly Parton, and that meant so much to him. That’s the one person in the whole world he wanted to meet. She was so humbled to meet him.”
His love of traveling continues as he goes with Clearview on day and night trips, instilling more of that independence that he craves to have! The one thing he desires most is to be treated like an adult, not a child. With his size, that’s a challenge he faces daily.
Always Choosing the Bright Side Throughout his entire life of challenges, he’s always chosen the route of happiness, his infectious sunny disposition changing the lives of the people he meets. He’s currently facing rainy days in the form of battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy treatments. No matter the weather, he’s always choosing to walk on the path of sunshine!
“Always be positive, and make good out of bad,” says Vicki. “Yes, there have been challenges, but we have to tackle them and confront them!” Bobby is the kindest, most loving ray of sunshine you’ll ever meet. Take a page out of his book and choose to live your life spreading happiness!
