World Class Adam Vawter’S Experiences Around The World Are Likely Adding To His String Of Successes

By age 10, Adam Vawter had tasted more adventure than most people experience in a lifetime.

Vawter lived eight years in Saudi Arabia. He and his family traveled the world and explored wonders of distant lands.

Vawter, a three-year standout football player at University High School, wasn’t ready to connect the time spent living abroad with his selection as the third Spokane Valley athlete to be awarded the Ray Flaherty Award by the Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

But his mother, Barbara, could see a direct correlation.

“Our children started swimming at age 2 in Saudi Arabia because it was about the only sport available and quite big in Riyadh,” she said. “That was where a lot of discipline came into his life.”

She also lauded the international school there, where her sons were educated in a multicultural environment and started them on a path to academic excellence.

The Flaherty Award and concomitant college scholarship is based not only on football ability but also on academics and community involvement.

It was the sixth year of presentation at the annual foundation chapter banquet. Giorgio Usai from Central Valley and Paul Shogren from East Valley were previous winners.

The extremely well-rounded Vawter ranks No. 1 academically in his class at U-Hi. He is thinking of following his brother Aaron, three years his senior, into pre-medicine in college.

He was named high overall achiever at the National Teen Leadership camp at Evergreen State College last summer, is active in church and Young Life, a nondenominational Christian teen outreach organization.

He has his own lawn-mowing business and has done landscaping in the family’s property management endeavor when needed.

He is a certified scuba diver and skis on both snow and water.

Upon the family’s return to Spokane in 1992 prior to the Gulf War, Vawter joined Spokane Area Swimming and became an Inland Empire top-16 placer and zone qualifier.

Then football became his passion. Despite a relative lack of size - Vawter weighs about 200 pounds - he was a three-year starting lineman for the Titan football team. The last two years he played both both offensively and defensively and was a two-time All-GSL selection.

“I’ve always had a strong love for sports,” said Vawter. “Football has been a big part of my life for quite awhile. I hope I can do something to keep in touch with the game, whether playing in college or coaching.”

His concern is that his size will work against him. It certainly can’t be for lack of leadership, work ethic or commitment, all of which played a part in winning the Flaherty Award. His mother said he has always strived for perfection in whatever he’s done.

It carried over into football where Vawter said he had no idea he would make varsity as a sophomore until coach Mike Ganey announced it during two-a-days that fall. He never left the starting lineup.

“He has been our best offensive guard and defensive end the last two years,” said Ganey. “His charismatic personality was a role model for his teammates as well as the entire student body.”

And while there may not be a direct link to his time spent in Saudia Arabia, the wealth of experience and his close-knit family life didn’t hurt.

Adam’s dad, Tim, is a Spokane native and pharmacist who was hired in 1984 through Hospital Corp. of America to work in the pharmacy at a hospital in Riyadh.

“A love of travel on our part took us there,” said Barbara, also from Spokane. “We were looking for adventure and wanted to explore the world. And it bonded our family together maybe in a way that doesn’t happen all the time.”

The job enabled them the opportunity to visit 20 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Vawter trekked in Nepal, safaried in Kenya, snorkeled in the Red Sea and traveled in Thailand.

They’ve also snorkeled and dived in the Seychelles, French Polynesia, Tahiti and Cozumel in Mexico.

The cultural experience and travel, said his mother, may have provided the confidence that led to his success in athletics.

“It was really neat,” said Adam, who added he was too young to remember it all, but who absorbed much from the experience. “I feel I’ve gained a kind of broad world perspective. I’ve seen a lot of things others haven’t. I may be a little more open-minded to other cultures and beliefs.”

It would explain in part why Vawter, who expressed surprise at receiving the honor, became this year’s Flaherty Award winner.