Former Flames mascot trusts in God’s plan after car accident ends his dreams of becoming a pilot

When he first came to Liberty University in Fall 2014, Nathan Sidey (’18) knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. His passion was flying, and he dreamed of one day becoming a pilot. He enrolled in the School of Aeronautics, but not long after arriving in Lynchburg, another opportunity piqued his interest.

“My second week there, I saw a flyer advertising Sparky tryouts,” said Sidey, who was missing the excitement of donning a mascot suit and bringing smiles to people’s faces like he had at his high school in Georgia. “I thought, ‘Why not give it a shot?’ So I tried out and made the team.”

But just when all seemed to be going well in his college endeavors, his life was changed in an instant.

“At the end of my freshman year, I left Lynchburg for two weeks to head home and get my private pilot’s license and spend time with friends and family before coming back to Liberty for my sophomore year,” he explained. On his drive home to Georgia, traveling 65 miles per hour, his car was sandwiched between a semi truck’s rear axle and the concrete barrier on the side of the interstate. The accident would alter the course of his life forever, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury.

“When you go through something like that, your life changes quite a bit,” he said. “We had no idea what my life would look like after the accident.”

Due to his injuries, his dream of flying planes would never come true.

“Within two to three months of my accident, it was clear that I could never be a pilot,” Sidey said. “I would never be able to pass a flight medical, so my career as a pilot was slowed to a grinding halt.”

For years, Sidey had known exactly what he wanted out of life. But, after the accident, everything about his future was cast under a cloud of uncertainty.

After a few months, he slowly recovered from his injuries. He was able to return to Liberty and chose to study counseling and psychology. But he suffered from PTSD after the accident and had reservations about resuming his role as a mascot without his service dog that was helping him to cope.

One day, when a fill-in was needed for Sparky, Sidey was asked to put on the suit once again. It was for a small event with a limited crowd, so he felt comfortable enough to give it a try. To his surprise, he immediately felt at ease.

“The moment I put the Sparky head on, my PTSD symptoms disappeared,” he said.

From that point forward, the prior triggers to his PTSD, like crowds, movement, and loud noises, were no longer an issue.

“Being in the suit not only alleviated my symptoms in the moment, but it also helped me overcome PTSD in the long term, ” he said. The more he entertained crowds as Sparky, the more he felt called to a profession as a mascot.

“I never thought about being a mascot as a career,” Sidey admitted. “But God had bigger and better plans for me.”

He landed an internship with the Indianapolis Colts and later became the mascot for the Tulsa Drillers, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sidey’s journey then brought him to the Dallas Stars of the NHL, where he currently works as the Mascot Program Coordinator for the franchise.

Sidey knows that the twists and turns in his journey were not random. He has seen God at work through it all.

“God has given each of us a unique story,” he said. “It has been remarkable to see how God has used all aspects of my life to bring me here.”

God had opened doors for him that he never knew existed, and in the process, Sidey said he gained a fresh perspective: “God took away what I thought was my dream career to show me the path He had planned for me.”

>> Sidey’s story aired on Friday’s episode of Flames Central, Liberty’s weekly 30-minute broadcast highlighting its Athletics and Club Sports programs and featuring Christian athletes, coaches, and influencers in the world of sports.