This Fort Mill kid’s heart made sports hard to play. Now he’s a champion, inspiration

When the Fort Mill All-Stars won the 8-and-under Dixie Youth World Series a couple of weeks ago, it marked a great accomplishment for the players and coaches on the team.

Their hard work, dedication and determination were on full display as they marched through the postseason with a record of 17-0. They outscored their opponents 189-32. They won the District title in York, the state title in Orangeburg and then the World Series in Laurel, Mississippi.

For one member of the team, though, it was more than just a great accomplishment: It was a testament to his hard work and dedication to overcome a birth defect — and not only play, but make significant contributions.

Gordon Owino was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, Pulmonary Atresia, major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) and ventricular septal defect (VSD). The first baseman went undiagnosed for nearly a year, and at one time he was sent home from the hospital to die, his parents said. The experts said he would not survive the heart and lung transplant surgery he needed.

After extensive research, Owino’s parents found a surgeon who performed the 14-hour operation at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. He had an amazing repair and recovery, and he has had several surgeries since then. He will require more in the future.

But Owino is known for more than what has tried to keep him off the baseball diamond.

He’s known for his positivity. His charismatic smile. And for something else, too.

“He is,” said Fort Mill All-Star coach Ryan Smith, “the best first baseman in the county at this age level.”

Meet Gordon Owino

Gordon started playing baseball when he was 3 years old. He has played every year since, even though he has missed some games because of his surgeries.

He is not just on the team. He was selected for the All-Star team because of his play during the Fort Mill league’s regular season.

“That has always been a dream and a goal for me,’‘ Owino said. “I was so excited when they called and told me I made the team. I was jumping up and down.”

Owino had 108 chances for putouts at first base in the postseason. He made 104 of them. In the World Series he converted on all but one of his 44 opportunities.

His exceptional play at first base earned him the name “Ice Cream Man” because of his incredible scoops to turn an errant throw into an out.

Gordon’s ability at the plate and on the base paths was also noted.

“He is a power hitter,’‘ added Smith, who has coached him for three years. “He is one of the fastest players on the team, and he knows how to run the bases.”

Owino provides more than quality play for his team.

“He is our emotional leader on the field,” Smith added. “That has been very important to us.”

Dennis Ostrander coached Owino when he was in the 6-year-old group. He saw a promising player who worked extremely hard to be good.

“He is the most competitive person I have ever coached,“ Ostrander said. “He never missed a beat, and he had a positive attitude.”

He had versatility written all over him at that young age, Ostrander said.

“He could play every position on the field, and he picked up everything easily,” he added. “We played him at first and third for the most part, but he did very well in all of the outfield spots.”

Gordon’s parents

His athletic talent came from both of his parents.

His mother, Hayley, played volleyball and tennis at Limestone before an injury ended her career.

“Proud is an understatement,” Hayley said. “Knowing what he has been through, and what he has accomplished. He has had setbacks along the way, but he is positive about everything.”

His father, Arnold, was a basketball player.

“Words cannot describe how I feel when I see him enjoying the game,” Arnold said. “He loves the game, and he loves his teammates. I credit them with a lot of his success, and the coaches have been wonderful.”

Gordon wears a chest protector at all times when he is playing as a precaution against a line drive when he is in the field. He also keeps an inhaler in the dugout.

He has hobbies and other interests outside of baseball. He likes to play basketball, but the constant running is a strain on his lungs. He also loves animals, and one of his life’s goals is to rescue abused animals, he said.

In school his favorite subject is math.

In 2013, his parents, both of whom graduated from Clemson, established the Gordon Owino Heart Foundation. It provides hope and support services to children and families who are affected by congenital heart disease. The foundation partners with MUSC as well as the Levine and Hemby Children’s Hospitals.

“We believe that God has been generous to us, so we get to be generous back,” Hayley Owino said. “We are also super thankful for the storms we have experienced because the blessings that have come from them have been unimaginable.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 7:00 AM.