Former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow appeared on HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” to help a family make their home wheelchair-friendly.
Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of “Fixer Upper,” teamed up with Tebow and the Tim Tebow Foundation to create a home for the Copp family in the Waco, Texas area. The episode aired Tuesday night.
The family’s two sons, 9-year-old Calan and 5-year-old Lawson, are bound to wheelchairs due to a genetic disorder that impacts their ability to stand, according to HGTV. To help their children, the Copps wanted an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant home. Tebow and his foundation helped redesign the house for the family of four.
UF alumna Keira Hornyak, a friend of Tebow who graduated in Spring 2017, said she wasn’t surprised to see him on the show considering his work to give back to the community.
“He’s really taking The Gator Nation name global,” Hornyak, 23, said. “And I think that’s something that the University of Florida can have so much pride in.”
UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said many people look up to Tebow as a role model.
“Tim Tebow embodies everything that is great about The Gator Nation,” Orlando said. “He lives those values of tackling tough problems, meeting challenges and going out to help people.”
Jessica Cook, a UF biology junior, said one of the reasons why people are drawn to “Fixer Upper” is because the Gaines are genuine people, which plays into why Tebow was featured on the show.
“I think they saw him as a fellow leader and wanting to give back and pair up to do something awesome,” Cook, 20, said.
Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow speaks with media on UF's Plaza of the Americas in September 2014.
