SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — From Germany to South Williamsport, Izaak Hobday of Bradford County is seeing his dreams come true one step and one pitch at a time.
From the running tracks of Berlin, Germany, to the pitching mound at Historic Lamade stadium Izaak Hobday of Bradford County added another accolade to his list, throwing out the first pitch at the Little League World Series.
"Just throwing the ball over the plate," said Izaak Hobday, Athens Township.
While he says he throws a mean circle change up, Izaak tells Newswatch 16 his first passion is track and field.
This past summer, he won gold and silver medals for running in the Special Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
"It's overwhelming. It's exciting. I'm proud of what he's accomplished. It's like a culmination of his dreams cause when he played Little League, he always dreamed that he get here, and now he is," said Denise Hibbard, Izaak's grandmother.
Izaak's grandmother, Denise Hibbard, has been alongside Izaak for much of his journey, a journey she calls inspirational.
"Whether it's any, just set your dreams that set your goals, and just keep striving because eventually, you'll get them just like he has done. Everybody told him that he couldn't do it, and he's proved to them that he can," said Hibbard.
Following his first pitch, Izaak was recognized by the Pennsylvania Senate for all of his athletic accomplishments.
With another dream realized, Izaak plans to keep moving, or in this case, running forward as he prepares for future races.
"His next two goals will be USA Summer Games in 2026 and Australia 2027 for World Games again," explained Hibbard.
Now I can't be for certain, but I think some luck from Izaak's first pitch rubbed off on the Southwest Region as they won Monday night's game 3-1. They go on to play the Northwest Region on Wednesday.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel.