It’s fair to say Gage Guinter is wise beyond his 19 years.
And his dedication to help others runs deep, thanks to his lifelong experience of helping autistic twin brother Griffin navigate day-to-day life.
“As a kid, I had a little bit more responsibility than most,” said Gage, who graduated from New Smyrna Beach High School last spring and is now studying criminal justice as a sophomore at Daytona State College.
“At an early age, Griffin taught me to be more compassionate and caring, and because of that, I’ve become a better person,” he added. “Having to help take care of him, I’ve learned the goodness of helping people.”
Gage grew up in Williamsport, Pa., played a little youth football, spent time exploring in the woods and learned to swim under his mother’s tutelage at the tender age of six months. His mom, Brooke Guinter, swam collegiately at Penn State and wanted her twin boys to learn water safety early.
As it turned out, those early swimming lessons meant more than anyone in the Guinter family would have ever imagined. A licensed behavioral therapist and social worker, Brooke had diagnosed kids with autism and understood what she was now seeing with her own child.
When Griffin was diagnosed, one out of every 95 kids was identified with autism. Now, according to Austismspeaks.org, one in every 36 kids is diagnosed with autism, with four in every 100 boys diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder.
“My sons are twins – one with autism and one without – which is very rare,” said Brooke. “The challenge has always been, how do I give them the same life and how do I do it in a way that they can still be brothers together?”
Swimming not only helped her young sons establish a meaningful bond, but it also served an important purpose with her autistic son, who is non-verbal.
“I knew kids with autism are attracted to water,” she said. “The water is calming and it’s a tactile, sensory thing. Autistic people look for a way to calm themselves down.”
Brooke began coaching local swim teams in Pennsylvania, offering her services only if Griffin could also participate with his brother Gage. She ended up leading an entire swimming class of youngsters with various physical and developmental challenges. Her kids even got the chance to swim with OIympian Josh Davis, who attended one of her clinics.
“I leaned on Gage to help with his brother and some of their other peers,” said Brooke. “We created a peer-buddy program so the kids with disabilities could get into the water with the typical children and learn from them.”
When the twins were around age 13, Gage was in the car with his brother while his mother was driving them home from school one day. Gage realized something was wrong with his mom when she had a seizure and swerved into oncoming traffic, nearly hitting another car head on.
“I knew something was wrong with her and that she needed to see a doctor,” said Gage.
His mother was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – a tangle of blood vessels irregularly connecting arteries and veins, and disrupting blood flow and oxygen circulation. Brooke underwent brain surgery in December 2015 and the family was informed there was a high probability she could die.
“She joined a case study in 2015 and at the time, 18 of 21 people in the study did not make it,” said Gage. “Our mom was one of those who survived.”
The family moved to Edgewater, Fla., in 2019. Warm weather was better for Brooke’s health. In addition, the boys could swim year round, Gage could dual-enroll for college classes at Daytona State while in high school, and their father, Jason, a truck driver, found a shorter-haul company to work for with Lynch Oil — allowing him to be at home more often with his family.
Gage found his place fairly quickly in his new Florida home. He joined the Interact Club at New Smyrna Beach High School and eventually became president of the club, which is similar to a high school level of Rotary International.
“It’s a service club for volunteering and it was a lot of fun planning events in the Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach communities with the Rotary clubs,” said Gage. “We donated food and books to Gifts of Love.”
Gage started as an honorary member of the Edgewater Rotary and was later extended official membership at age 19.
“I spent a lot of time with them and they sort of became like family,” he said. “Every Thursday, I went to their meetings and helped out.”
While Griffin was homeschooled by their mom, Gage divided his time between studies and volunteering with Rotary. As a tenth-grader, he also began volunteering as a kayak sweep at Marine Discovery Center in 2021.
“I wanted to get more involved in volunteering and someone told me MDC was a good place to earn volunteer hours and to learn more about the environment,” said Gage. “I’ve probably been a sweep on more than 100 kayak tours and I think volunteering at MDC opened up a new doorway for me.”
As Gage assisted guests on the tours, listened to the kayak tour guides talk and learned about his new Florida home environment, he began to think about his own future in a different way.
He would go to the center after tours to learn about the creatures in MDC’s exhibit tanks and aquariums. He thought more about the estuary’s importance to many different species living in the Indian River Lagoon. And when a fresh-water turtle dug a nest under his family’s backyard fence last spring, he took delight in showing Griffin how they should protect the nest from predators.
“I think Marine Discovery Center has changed my life and put me on a new path that I’m interested in,” said Gage. “I’ve learned that I want to do my part in protecting animals and the environment and because of my experiences at MDC, I want to become a game warden with FWC [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission],” said Gage.
His desire to work in the environment with both humans and the creatures that reside in the ecosystem feels “like a perfect fit,” he added.
While he works toward his college degree, Gage plans to continue volunteering in the community with the Edgewater Rotary Club. He and his mom often prepare and cook the meals each Thursday for the club’s weekly meetings. He also hopes to continue volunteering as a kayak sweep at MDC.
And while Gage and Griffin share a special connection, it’s Gage who says he has benefitted the most from their unique relationship. Griffin can’t verbalize his thoughts, but somehow, Gage understands. He encourages his brother’s swimming and shares Griffin’s appreciation for electronic devices that allow him to communicate.
More importantly, Gage knows his desire to help others started many years ago when his twin began his own unique life journey — teaching the family a few lessons along the way.
“Without Griffin, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” said Gage. “I learned how to help people. I learned how to listen. Griffin made me what I am.”
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