NHR (6/19): Gomes Gets to Heart of the Matter

This is my second, and most recent article for the New Haven Register:
Gomes Gets to Heart of the MatterBy Stephen Bailey Special to the Register
Ryan Gomes, born and raised in Waterbury, a Providence College graduate and now a forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves, has been building his foundation, Hoops for Heart Health, since he entered the NBA in 2005.

Working hand in hand with former AAU coach Wayne Simone, Gomes, a Register All-State pick at Wilby in 2000, has led the charge against little-known sudden cardiac arrest by providing defibrillators to high school, colleges, and community centers across the nation.

Gomes has a personal investment in the matter as Stanley Myers, his former-AAU teammate and a high school standout at Wilbur Cross, died of SCA in 2005. That tragic event is what sparked Gomes and Simone to take a stand against SCA. They have come a long way in half a decade and reached an important milestone last year.

Gomes said a bill was passed that made it necessary for all Connecticut schools to have a defibrillator. He calls it, "The biggest thing I've done since I entered the NBA."

However, he is also reaching out and helping more than just the basketball community. SCA happens off the basketball court just as frequently as it does on it.
"You hear a bunch of stories about it happening at airports, basketball courts, rec centers," Gomes said. "It happens everywhere."
Myers' SCA actually occurred while he was running around a lake on the campus of Morgan State University.
Gomes has now donated close to 100 defibrillators to various cities across America, including every one he's played in professionally. Few people realize the importance of having one close by. According to the American Heart Association, 99 percent of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. In cities where defibrillation is provided within 5 to 7 minutes, the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is as high as 30-45 percent.
Although his efforts have traveled nationwide, it all comes back to Connecticut for Gomes. He holds an annual area golf tournament to raise money for his foundation -- this year's will be June 28 at Southington Country Club -- and plans on holding a teaching session in which anyone can come and learn how to properly use a defibrillator.

"Having a defibrillator," Gomes said, "and someone on site who knows how to use it, can help save a life."
Gomes uses all the media attention a professional athlete is given as means to spread word of his cause.
"I'm in a position being a pro athlete where people might listen to me a little bit more than others," Gomes said. "What I think I'm on this pedestal for is to help other people."
He certainly has used his celebrity status to not only garner attention toward his foundation, but set a great example for generations of athletes to come. In addition to building his foundation, Gomes is using his time off to become the best basketball player he can be.
"In the NBA, it's a 12-month season," Gomes said. "You get breaks here and there, but it's not like you play for 6 or 7 and take the rest of the time off. You have to keep your body in shape, get your rest, keep training, and get stronger to be an elite-level player."
This offseason, Gomes said he is working to improve on his outside shooting, perimeter defense and low post game.
For Gomes, it's all about getting to the top. Being good just doesn't cut it.
"Before it's all said and done," Gomes said. "We all want to be mentioned as one of the greatest players of our franchise, or ever to play this game. It's how hard you work that will determine what leaves your legacy."
Although his legacy on the court is yet to be revealed, he has already earned the respect of fellow players, coaches, and fans alike for his work with his foundation.