Former Minneapolis North football player wins Jimmy V Perseverance Award at ESPYs

Published June 21, 2020 9:54pm CDT

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((Photo: Janaye Johnson))

(FOX 9) - Taquarius Wair, a Minneapolis man who survived a house fire that left him with visible burns, won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY Awards Sunday night.

TQ Wair was just four years old when his house caught fire. His sister died in the fire and the incident left him with third-degree burns over 55 percent of his body. He lost fingers on his left hand and doctors gave him a 20 percent chance to live.

Minneapolis North athlete thrives on the field while facing uphill battle off it

Sometimes you hear about someone’s challenges and it makes you look at your own life differently.

Wair played football at North High School in Minneapolis and now plays for Mesabi Range Community College in Northern Minnesota.