Tye Dutcher reflects on the past — he just doesn’t dwell on it.

After all, the 2015 Auburn Riverside High School graduate knows he would not have the opportunity to swim in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games if not for the fateful late afternoon of March 20, 2008.

As Dutcher recalls, he had returned home from school and was watching TV while his father, Doug, was mowing the lawn. Dutcher said he grabbed his rubber-band gun with the intention of going outside and shooting his dad in the back. But when his father, who was wearing ear plugs, put the riding lawnmower in reverse, Dutcher stumbled as he tried to move out of the way.

“My dad felt the bump, got up, and sprung into action,” Dutcher said. “He told me not to look at my leg, and obviously, I’m 11 years old, I wanted to look at my leg and see what happened. I looked at it, and the only thing I remember is seeing that my foot was completely gone.”

Dutcher, who lived in Merced, Calif., at the time, was airlifted to the University of California, Davis Medical Center, where he underwent four operations in 11 days. His leg was amputated two inches above his ankle.

The now 19-year-old said he often wondered why.

“I wasn’t doubtful; I was just questioning,” Dutcher said. “I’ve waited patiently for over eight years now to know exactly where my purpose is and what I’m supposed to be doing. I think about it almost all of the time.”

But for the healing to begin, the trauma first had to subside.

In the aftermath of the accident, Dutcher remembers hoping it was just a nightmare.

“I tried to kind of bang my head on the grass to wake myself back up,” he said. “I couldn’t do it.”

It was only the beginning.

Because he still was growing, Dutcher had to undergo a fifth surgery a year after the accident, requiring the amputation of two more inches off the leg and a skin graft to provide him more comfort with his prosthetic limb. Another year of rehabilitation followed.

“There’s been a lot of patience in my life, a lot of testing and endurance,” he said. “I’ve always pushed through with a smile on my face, even though sometimes I’ve been angry.”

And his scars from the accident were not just physical. Dutcher said he and his father both suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The two did not talk about what had happened, Dutcher said, until two years later.

“It was so relieving,” he said. “It was a great experience … for us to both share with each other. He knows that I don’t hate him or anything like that. He knows I love him. Our relationship has ultimately grown a lot stronger, and we just love each other even more. He’s a great father.”

It was Dutcher’s father who also helped set his path to the Paralympics. The family moved from California to Auburn midway through Dutcher’s sophomore year when his dad found a position as a signal-light technician in the area. They already were familiar with the area because one of Dutcher’s older brothers was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Early start

Dutcher started swimming when he was 4 years old, but never considered himself serious about the sport. He was not a club swimmer, and only began competing at the high school after his family’s move. As a senior, he won the Class 3A state championship in the 100 backstroke in 59.04 seconds and was fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:02.56).

The path to Brazil began there.

After qualifying for state, Dutcher said, he received an email from a Paralympian, suggesting he apply for the residency program in Colorado. Dutcher was accepted and has been preparing in Colorado Springs to compete in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, which are Sept. 7-18, since shortly after he graduated.

“I’m just grateful that I don’t have my foot because I wouldn’t have met these amazing athletes,” he said. “I wouldn’t be training with them. They’re truly inspiring, and they help and motivate me to train harder.”

Dutcher, who qualified in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle during the June 30-July 3 trials in North Carolina, has maintained a simple mindset throughout the process.

“Step one is making the team,” he said. “Step two is to make the dream.”

That, he said, is to earn a medal. Dutcher is confident he is on the path to accomplish that. In North Carolina, he said, he has reduced his time in the 100 backstroke – his best event – by three seconds.

“Coming here, I learned to actually change my backstroke up a bit with my kick,” Dutcher said. “I kind of do a butterfly-type kick because that gives me more balance. It’s just adjusting.”

That has become a familiar refrain for Dutcher since the amputation.

“I do find that maybe in snowboarding that there’s a learning curve, but eventually I’ll overcome it,” he said.

For that reason, Dutcher said, he dislikes words such as “handicapped”.

He recognizes that he has a disability, but is clear that he is “not limited by it” and feels those words produce a “negative connotation.”

They also serve in contrast to his mentality; one he hopes that will inspire others.

“I want them to look at life in a positive perspective,” Dutcher said. “There’s so much negativity around this world. There’s always going to be something to put us down, but it’s our job to bring ourselves back up.

“A negative attitude will get you nowhere in life.”

There is no time for “nowhere” in Dutcher’s life. In addition to his training regime, Dutcher, the youngest of five siblings, is working toward a degree in computer information systems from DeVry University with an eye toward starting a business with his oldest brother, Kyle. But he remains hopeful that he can perform well enough in September to earn sponsorships he believes would enhance his goal of competing in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Either way, Dutcher is happy with his work in the water.

“Looking back and seeing how much I’ve accomplished, I feel so blessed,” he said. “Through the Paralympics, I hope I can inspire more lives … just influence them so they won’t give up either.”

PHOTO BELOW:

Tye Dutcher maintains a bright outlook on things. “I want them to look at life in a positive perspective,” he said. “There’s so much negativity around this world. There’s always going to be something to put us down, but it’s our job to bring ourselves back up. A negative attitude will get you nowhere in life.” Courtesy photo