Blade Runner: Hudson Belviso

By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer| garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com

If you watch Hudson Belviso play baseball, you would be hard-pressed to notice his right foot. It is usually moving too fast to see the bottom of the prosthetic that he wears on the field.

Hudson, 8, was born with Fibular Hemimelia and Amniotic Band Syndrome. In layman’s terms, he was born without a fibula bone in his lower right leg and does not have digits on his right hand due to the latter.

That has never once stopped him from playing the game he loves. Hudson is a member of the WYRA 8U baseball team and has become one of the squad’s best players and a beloved teammate to his peers.

“I love baseball and playing with my friends,” says Hudson.

Hudson’s right leg had to be amputated at the knee when he was just one year old. He has grown up learning to navigate a physical challenge that might hamper many, but Belviso has taken it in stride and uses his uniqueness to give inspiration to others.

Hudson’s dad, Robert, said they have never tried to hold their son back from anything he wanted to do. Hudson may be shy, but he is incredibly determined to succeed in everything he does, including his favorite sport.

“We’ve got no fear for him,” explained Robert. “We allow him to try what he wants to try, whether it’s baseball, basketball, and he’s an avid four-wheeler. He’s out there at his grandma and grandpa’s riding that four-wheeler and tearing our nerves up. He’s all boy. He is pure determination, and he doesn’t let anything stop him.”

Hudson began playing baseball four years ago, starting with tee-ball. He now wears a unique accessory while playing: a bladed prosthetic with springs that allows him to run fluently, albeit with a different stride. He can do everything on the field that his teammates can, even with the limited use of his right hand.

While in uniform, you can barely see the artificial limb. Belviso’s talent? That is a different story. It is obvious to everyone who watches him.

Hudson plays second base and pitches, but he prefers being on the mound. The power and springs in his blade allow him to push off during the pitching motion and put strength behind each throw. The southpaw Belviso throws several pitches, but…

“I like to throw fastballs,” he said.

When he was born, the Belviso family was unsure how Hudson’s physical challenges would affect him. Now, they marvel at the spirit and determination he pulls from while competing. Playing baseball is not all Hudson does, though. He is an adventurer and a natural athlete.

“I get a little emotional talking about him because he has overcome more than most kids his age,” said Robert. “It’s nice to see the respect he gets from his peers, from coaches, from parents. We’ve been very fortunate to be part of several teams where the coaches haven’t looked at him and said, let’s stick him out in the outfield. They’ve given him an opportunity, and as a parent, that’s all I can ask for.”

The reality of living with a disability is that not everyone understands the difficulties experienced by those who have them.

But Hudson’s teammates have always been there for him and accepted him since the day he stepped onto the diamond.

That makes him feel good and gives him confidence.

“I love my teammates,” said Hudson. “They are always there for me.”

Robert Belviso says his son had to get used to his prosthetic blade, but once he learned how to use it, he said that Hudson now prefers to wear it all the time. He has turned the awkwardness of its motion into an advantage that gives him the ability to run quite freely on the basepaths.

“This is the first leg he has had with a running blade,” Robert added. “It was a struggle to get him into this leg because it is different, especially appearance-wise. He was challenged by his coach to try this leg out. He practiced at home with it for about a week, and without us really pushing, he went to team practice one afternoon wearing his blade. He noticed a difference right away, and it allowed him to be faster and more mobile. The blade is something that he prefers to wear now.”

Belviso was named to the All-Star team this season, a high honor reserved for each team’s best players.
Next up for Hudson is tryouts for The Druff travel ball team, which he is looking forward to. He wants to show other kids with physical obstacles that they, too, can succeed in athletics.

“I want to help other kids see that they can play baseball like me,” he says.

He has bigger goals, too. Hudson wants to become the first professional baseball player to play with a prosthesis.

“I really want to play in the major leagues one day,” he added.

The fact is, Woodruff’s baseball-playing blade runner is already a pro, and nothing can slow him down.