Going the Further Mile: Toledo Senior QB Buys Van to Haul Teammates to Exercises

By Eric Trent / [email protected]

Wyatt Nef’s dream of a van began last winter.

The prospective senior at Toledo High School attended a physical education class with his football teammate Brien McNaught. Nef began telling him how beneficial it would be if her team could go to the gym together over the summer, build chemistry, and get stronger.

See, the high school has been under construction since February 3rd, which means that athletes don’t have access to the weight room.

So Nef, who is slated to be Toledo’s quarterback this year, started thinking about ways to be the first to transport his teammates to Thorbeckes Wellness Center in Centralia reported by Scorebook Live Washington. The only problem is that it’s a 30-minute drive from Toledo and a five-person car isn’t enough to transport everyone.

At first he thought a bus would be perfect.

“But I realized that a bus was probably not the best option because I needed a CDL,” said Nef.

So he made the next logical choice: a van. McNaught agreed.

Nef started searching the internet for a delivery truck, first on OfferUp, but couldn’t find one that piqued his interest. He asked his conditioning coach, Don Schaplow, who is also Toledo’s athletics coach, for help finding one.

“Of course a fitness coach would do anything to get us to the gym,” said Nef.

Schaplow kept an eye out before calling Nef one day and informing him of a van that was on sale for $ 500 in an upcoming high school sale. The faculty had planned to buy it as a gift for a retired classmate, but they decided it was too much work. It wasn’t running, it was dirty, and it needed a new alternator.

On the last day of the sale, Nef came up with a crisp Benjamin Franklin and offered the two women responsible for the sale $ 100 for the van. His pitch included telling them he would use the van to help Toledo athletes stay in shape.

“They looked at each other and said, ‘Well, I’m not telling him no, he’s too cute,'” said Nef.

Nef just got the license for the van on Monday and the first thing he plans to do is bring them a box of donuts to show his gratitude.

It took a little work to get it drivable. Nef doesn’t know anything about working on cars, but McNaught does, so he installed a new alternator and when they first turned the key it started immediately.

“I was so excited,” said Nef. You should have seen my face. I was so happy.”

He plans to drag friends and teammates to Thorbeckes in Centralia starting next week after returning from vacation. Thinking about it gave him another idea. He doesn’t want to bill his teammates for the one-hour return trip. That seems unfair, he said. So the kids plan to start a fundraiser, probably a car wash, with the goal of raising $ 1,000 to pay for their gas for the rest of the summer.

“I’m ready,” said Nef. “I’m ready to take my friends to the gym. We will go all the way, is the goal. “