A good read on a Kentucky angler

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A Champion In More Ways Than One
Editor's Note: Today's story comes is one that reminds those of us who haven't been faced with serious life challenges that what seems easy to others may be the result of hard work and dedication, not luck.

VINCENT CAMPISANO - A CHAMPION'S STORY

When Vincent Campisano and Kalem Tippett of Murray State University hoisted the champion's trophy above their heads at the 2009 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, it represented a triumph over enormous challenges.

Although he's not yet 20 years old, Vincent Campisano has already overcome a lifetime of challenges. Vincent was delivered prematurely by emergency c-section. He had a heart murmur, double hernias and weighed only 3 pounds. After spending his first 105 days in the hospital, he was released to come home after finally achieving the body weight goal of 5 pounds. Vincent spent most of his first year of life on oxygen. He also underwent hernia repair surgery and contracted RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). He spent his first Christmas in the hospital where he remained for a total of 17 days, a week of it on a ventilator. When he was taken off the ventilator and came out of sedation, he had lost his vision which slowly and only partially returned over a period of 6 to 8 weeks. Vincent continues to suffer from poor vision due to a condition called nystagmus. He's been wearing glasses since he was less than a year old and is classified as legally blind. His eyesight is 20/60-80 corrected and 20/100-200 uncorrected which prevents him from obtaining a driver's license. During Vincent's early years, therapists visited his home to provide occupational and physical therapy services as well as vision and speech therapy. He has a condition called hyponasal speech that impairs his ability to pronounce certain letters and sounds. A corrective surgery was recommended but there were no guarantees that it would fix the problem and there was the possibility that surgery could have made it worse. Therefore, the family decided against it since he was already scheduled to have an extra toe removed and another hernia surgery when he was only a first grader.

At only 2 years of age, he started fishing and caught a 2 ½ pound bass which was mounted and kept as a trophy. Vincent's Dad recalled "That did it - he was hooked." He went on to say "When Vincent was around three or four years old he would stand on the banks of the creek that ran next to our house with his little fishing pole and cast into the creek for hours. It didn't have any fish in it but he would catch what he called grass fish." After trying tee-ball, which didn't work out to well due to his visual problems, Vincent went on to play soccer for a while, then tried horseback riding and bowling before it became clear that fishing is what he liked best.

Vincent began school in the ECE (exceptional child education) program as a developmentally delayed child at only three years of age. After being diagnosed with dyslexia in the fourth grade, he attended Langsford Learning Center for tutoring. Vincent attended public schools for all of his elementary years. When it came time for middle school, he was turned down by schools catering to learning disabled students because of his test scores. Eventually, the family discovered the perfect school named The Academy for Individual Excellence which offers classes from pre-school through 12th grade. All of the kids were very close and looked out for each other. Vincent was even able to take advantage of the opportunity to serve as Team Manager on the school's basketball team during his senior year.

Vincent began fishing tournaments with his Dad when he was about twelve years old. Not only did he really enjoy it - he was also very good at it. Over the past few years, he's competed in the Junior Bassmasters where he finished 5th despite the fact that he didn't fish all of the events. He also fished the TBF Junior Angler events and won 3 of them. He and his Dad earned the 2008 Anglers Of-The-Year award presented by the Commonwealth Bass Club. More recently, Vincent and his Dad earned a berth in the USA Bassin Series Classic by finishing 6th in the regional point standings.

When Vincent was younger, he preferred attending the Bassmaster Classic events over vacationing at Disney World. His Dad remembered "We went to the Classic in North Carolina in August of 2004, then Pittsburg in 2005 and Birmingham in 2007 where we also watched the weigh-in for the junior anglers. Ironically, Kalem Tippett won the junior event in 2007. Vincent and Kalem went on to compete against each other in future junior events. Kalem and his Dad also compete against Vincent and me in the USA Bassin events. No one could have imagined that Vincent and Kalem would become partners and eventual winners of the 2009 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship."

Vincent's disabilities require him to study two to three times longer than the average college student but he remains committed to graduating regardless of how long it takes. He gets his strong will and determination from his Mother. Most people thought Vincent shouldn't even try to pass the ACT test but he wanted desperately to go to college and become a member of Murray State's fishing team.

Vincent was very surprised and pleased to see Kalem at the first bass club meeting he attended at Murray State. When asked about their victory at the 2009 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, he said "There's no way I could have done this without Kalem's support. I would like to tell everyone involved with this tournament what a wonderful job they did putting it all together for the students. To be able to compete in a tournament such as this is a major step toward competing at a professional level. For me and my family, this was the best day of our lives."

Vincent doesn't want people to feel sorry for him because of the challenges he's faced. He agreed to this story being written in hopes that it will encourage others who are faced with similar challenges.

Best post I have seen here in a long time. No doubt that Vincent will graduate and go on to conquer more of life's challenges. I am sure we will hear more about this young man in the future...he is made of "The Right Stuff" for sure.

awesome post! and what an excellent role model this young man is. not only for kids but for all of us who complain and gripe about the little things. congrats to them on their win and keep up the hard work it will pay off in the end

I would like to say this young man and his father are both real good fishierman and great people to talk with. They have been fishing with the Twin Lakes Division of USA Bassin for 2 years now and have done real well. Vincent is a young man of few words but when you talk fishing with him he opens up and can tell you alot. I think he well be a hard angler to compete with as he is now. Give him some more time to season and look out. I know Vince is very Proud of his son. After winning in Texas them hopped a Plane and flew in to fish with USA Bassin at Rough River and took 3rd. Not bad for coming off the RED EYE. Keep the line wet Vincent and you well do Fine. That was a great post.

[QUOTE=DaveStewart;372032]Best post I have seen here in a long time. No doubt that Vincent will graduate and go on to conquer more of life's challenges. I am sure we will hear more about this young man in the future...he is made of "The Right Stuff" for sure.[/QUOTE]


I could not have said it any better myself!

I was fortunate enough to meet Vincent this past winter/spring at the boat show and the Jim Strader show where I met him and his father... They both were class act guys and talked with us about fishing until people got upset we weren't selling them shirts!!! He is ate up with the sport and it is awesome to see him achieve something so big... I was also there in Lewisville when they lifted up the trophy even though I was envious I was glad to see someone from KY bring home the hardware and it makes it even better with his story...

That is awesome my son just started fishing with me and has dissabilities this is proof hard work and determination can pay off AWESOME.

Thanks for posting. I can't catch fish completely healthy

Great post and the best I have read ever. Keep up the good work and determination.

Sounds like a terrific young man. I know his dad, great fisherman. I also know Kalem, he is one of the finest young men I know. Great job guys. [QUOTE=ugglyotter;372201]Great post and the best I have read ever. Keep up the good work and determination.[/QUOTE]

Great post, its always great to read about kids that dont give up, and feel sorry for themselves, which they have every right to do, and strive to be as good or better that us normals. Plus its always nice to see Fathers taking their sons fishing with them, and sharing the great outdoors and not sticking them in front of a tv with a playstation plugged in. I love fishing with my son, and I hope he continues with his dream of fishing in college. Now that I am not working every weekend, hopefully we can get out.