Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing nobody can deny, it’s that Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye‘ is the epitome of makeover reality productions owing to the sheer care as well as compassion involved at every step of the way. After all, it revolves around five specialists known together to be the “Fab Five” as they guide individuals (or “Heroes”) down a path of self-improvement to help them lead their best possible lives. Amongst them in season 7 was thus the incredibly inspirational Ray “Speedy” Walker — so now, if you simply wish to learn more about him and his current standing, we’ve got the details for you.
Speedy’s Queer Eye Journey
Instead of being nominated for a complete transformation by a loved one, as is the series’ norm, the truth is Speedy was deservingly hand-picked by none other than culture expert Karamo Brown. The latter had actually found him on TikTok one day and was so moved by his story that he knew the Fab Five had to help make his life at least a bit easier, especially considering his young age. That’s because the 20-year-old was leading a rather independent life despite having lost his mother, a close aunt, and the use of everything below his chest following a car crash two years prior.
It was April 25, 2020, when the family was hit by a Ford F150 truck while driving, only to quickly slide off the road and smash against a tree despite Speedy’s mother’s best efforts to regain control. “Right after the accident, I blacked out, and then I woke up,” the then-18-year-old, two months shy of his high school graduation, candidly said in the original. “I got airlifted, but the whole way [to the hospital], I was [awake]. I’m screaming, ‘I don’t wanna die. I’m too young.’ I was just thinking about my mama and all that. I couldn’t move my legs. My whole body was numb, and it was burning.”
Therefore, it was only once Speedy was out of major emergency surgery that he learned not just the fact both his mother and aunt had passed but also the news he might never walk again. The ensuing months were hence, of course, torture for him, made a hundred times worse by the covid-19 restrictions as well as the grief of losing his dream of playing professional basketball one day. “My nickname ‘Speedy’ comes from when I was young,” the former high school point guard explained. “I ran to this practice, and this coach [noticed]… after that, he was just calling me Speedy.”
It thus sadly comes as no surprise Speedy gradually lost all his confidence and motivation, only to grow angry since he had done everything to never get into trouble despite living near the hood. So the question of “why” was the one that admittedly haunted him the most, yet he soon realized he couldn’t let it hold him back because his mother definitely would have wanted him to move on. This is when he’d decided to be as independent as possible, just for the Fab Five as well as season 4’s Wesley Hamilton to subsequently show up and equip him with some great advice/skills.
Speedy is Focusing on His Ambitions Today
From what we can tell, New Orleans native Ray “Speedy” Walker continues to reside in the disability-accessible apartment the five experts had come together to rent out for him for an entire year. They actually hadn’t hesitated to spend their own money as they had a feeling it would all work out, particularly since the youngster had proven his resolve by being open with them from the get-go. The fact he already owned a car, knew how to drive, and was enrolled in business courses at Delgado Community College before they’d even met seemingly played a role in all this as well.
Of course, Speedy’s life hasn’t done a 180 in the time that has gone by as he still struggles with his grief and has bad days, but it does look like he’s trying his best to let the good ones shine more. This much is perfectly evident through his growing social media presence these days, which he reportedly hopes to use as a means to evolve into a motivator as well as a disability advocate one day. Moreover, because he also has a passion for fashion, one of his aspirations is to establish his own clothing brand — a brand that does not compromise on style while still being easy to use by people with spinal cord injuries like his and his now-friend Wesley Hamilton’s.
Read More: Where is Jenni Seckel From Queer Eye Now?
