Currents Magazine Fall 2013

BROKEN
BODY UN
BROKEN
SPIRIT
Written by Melissa Hurtado
Photo by Sarah Malone
4 | Currents
If all the injuries Ford Tikson
has sustained were to be played in a
30-second movie, the result would be
horrifying. The unsettling sound of
bones snapping, cracking and tearing
through flesh would make any audience
squeal. Vivid images of bloodied
skin attained through falls, slips
and face plants would flash on the
screen, along with the flickering sight
of Ford's body being crushed under
the weight of other players. The stain
of blood on freshly cut grass would
evoke flinches, lip bites and "ahhs."
However, it would be the 10-second
clips of Ford's tearful parents waiting
in hospital lobbies as their son undergone
countless surgeries that would
bring every person to their knees with
sympathy.
Why has Ford Tikson, a Pepperdine
senior from Dallas, been through
so much at such an early age?
The man has wrestled with God.
Six broken bones, six knee surgeries
and a disintegrated disc in his
spine all bear witness to the altercation.
He has the scars to prove it, the
surgery records to affirm it and the
memories to disclose it. His journey
has indeed taken him into the wilderness
and back.
All throughout his life, Ford has
felt the need to do. His longing to
play, to run, to pass, to throw, to hit
and to compete are functions practically
ingrained in his very nature.
In every possible moment, he would
spend time outdoors, engaging his
body and mind in games, sports and
competition. Whether that meant
pushing himself more on the field or
enduring the pain of injury for love of
the game, Ford’s body was subjected
to it.
In his own words, Tikson says he
looks back on his unwavering perseverance
and sees it as something
deeply rooted in his personality; stubbornness.
Even after breaking his radius and
ulna in his right arm during his time
playing football in middle school, he
forced himself to get through the