At age 18, Point Loma High School graduate Zak Smith is often referred to by friends and acquaintances as a promising pillar of the community. A football player with a black belt in karate, Zak has helped teach women and children self-defense against bullies and strangers ” all for little or no money.
But a fateful car accident on Mission Bay Drive in May has turned Zak’s life upside-down. Now, friends, family and neighbors are pulling together to help Zak and his mother get their lives back to normal by organizing an Italian dinner fund-raiser on Tuesday, June 12, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the Point Loma High cafeteria.
The event is to help offset about $100,000 in medical costs ” an expense being shouldered by Zak’s mother, Vicki.
“It’s amazing. I never realized how many people care about me that much,” Zak said. “It’s a good feeling to know that so many people out there do care about a certain person.”
The public outpouring should come as little surprise.
His time as Pointer linebacker, combined with his martial arts training, taught him a discipline he shares with others in the community. He has trained at USA Freestyle Karate in Point Loma since he was 5 years old, earning his black belt when he was 12.
Until the accident, Zak also played middle linebacker at Mesa College, where he takes classes.
“He was just a very respectful kid, the kind of kid that I, myself, gravitate toward,” said Tom Kamfonic, Zak’s defensive line coach at Point Loma High.
Kamfonic said Zak led by example on and off the field. Zak is friends with Kamfonic’s son and would routinely go to the Kamfonic home to talk with his former coach about making life choices and handling responsibility.
Zak said he uses the discipline he learned from his football coaches and martial arts instructors to help a friend’s mother teach self-defense to women and children in a program called Play It Safe.
Tracie Arlington, Play It Safe instructor and close friend of the family, said Zak’s abilities lend themselves perfectly to programs like Stranger Danger and Bully Defense.
As Arlington’s assistant, he shows children how to circumvent a bully’s attempts to draw out a confrontation through peaceful, intelligent means. If a bully calls the child a name or otherwise harasses them, Zak said, it might be a good idea to agree with the bully and then befriend the bully with an invitation to hang out. The tactic works well with brothers and sisters too, he said.
He also shows children how to defend against adult attackers. He teaches the “tiger claw” technique.
The technique uses curled fingers to scratch at the attacker’s eyes. A good kick in the shins loosens the attacker’s grip while the child throws his or her hands up in a backward “windmill” motion before running away to call for help, yelling “Stranger!,” he said.
The fund-raiser is a chance for the community to give back to the Smith family after a brush with death left Zak and his friend, Josh Aros, with multiple injuries.
The accident occurred as Zak was driving northbound along Mission Bay Drive. He said he attempted to pass a slower driver but misjudged his speed as he took the Sea-World drive exit. The car fishtailed and spun out of control before wrapping itself around a tree, he said.
Firefighters and an off-duty police officer rescued Zak and Josh minutes before the car burst into flames, according to reports.
The accident that nearly took Zak’s life left him with a broken femur and broken wrist. Doctors placed a titanium rod in his leg during a six-hour surgery the night of the accident. He returned for surgery on his left wrist Friday, June 1.
For the past couple of weeks, Zak said, he has been relying on the kindness of his friends to help him up stairs and to and from his wheelchair and walker. He can only put 25 percent of his weight on his broken leg and has had to learn how to use his right hand because he was left-handed previously. He said this leaves him dependant on others because he can’t yet grab his walker with both hands.
He said his doctor has told him he should make a full recovery after several weeks of therapy.
Vicki Smith is grappling with the reality, too.
Insurance only covers so much of the medical expenses, which puts financial pressure on her as a single parent who practically lives paycheck to paycheck, she said. But she said she feels grateful for all that is being done for her and Zak.
“It’s so much work for my friends to do, and I feel badly that they have all this extra work, but they seem to be quite content to do it.” Vicki said. “That shows me what kind of wonderful friends Zak and I have.”
Anyone interested in attending the benefit dinner or making a donation can call Tracie Arlington at (619) 723-0036, or contacting her by email at [email protected].