Former Ohio State baseball pitcher Paul Geuy (34) played three seasons of Minor League Baseball before pursuing a master’s degree in dentistry and a side hobby of bodybuilding. Credit: Courtesy of Paul Geuy and Jim Davidson

Paul Geuy was willing to clear any hurdle to get his shot at Major League Baseball.

Driving to a final tryout with the Los Angeles Angels, Geuy’s car hit a sheet of black ice and spiraled into a concrete wall, totaling his vehicle. Climbing from the car, he still had 30 minutes to get to his big-league audition.

Geuy ditched his car and hiked three quarters of a mile in minus 27-degree weather to perform in front of a scout.

Throughout his life, Geuy hasn’t let obstacles get in the way of his ambitions, whether they be playing baseball at Ohio State, becoming a dentist or leaping headfirst into bodybuilding.

“Paul has made me rethink the limits of our life circumstances, if we’re willing to put in the effort and hard work,” Yini Hu, Geuy’s wife, said.

Geuy said his aspirations began with people telling him he would never be good enough for any of it.

Growing up in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Geuy said he came from a family home with dirty concrete floors and was bullied for being overweight. He said he wanted to prove he could be someone, especially on the baseball field.

Coming to Ohio State, Geuy attempted to walk onto the varsity baseball team, but was told, “No,” three times in three years. But that didn’t stop him from trying to prove his doubters wrong.

“I worked like my life depended on it,” Geuy said. 

To get attention from Ohio State’s coach, Geuy said he got a job as the varsity field groundskeeper so he could stay late, hit in the batting cage, throw on the field and get noticed.

After playing summer baseball in Kentucky and New York during his final year of school, Guey finally got the opportunity to play for Ohio State. 

After months of extended tryouts, Geuy said seeing his name go up on the locker was something he’ll never forget. 

“That was one of the moments where it was like, ‘Wow. I made it,’” Geuy said.

Geuy’s time on the team nicknamed him the “Rudy” of Ohio State baseball because of his underdog success story.

Medical school and a master’s degree were next for Geuy after he graduated. It had always been his goal to be a dentist, but that was put on hold when he was rejected by Ohio State’s program. He didn’t apply for anything else that year, so he tried to play baseball professionally.

“I’m just like, ‘All right. It’s either now or never.’ I legitimately drove to 20-plus cities,” Geuy said. 

Geuy played for three different minor league and independent league teams in his professional career, posting an earned run average below 2.00 in two of his three seasons, he said.

When he returned to Columbus, Geuy was accepted into Ohio State’s Doctor of Dental Surgery program at Ohio State, which he plans to finish in May 2021.

Entering his final years of dentistry school, Geuy developed a new conquest: the world of bodybuilding. 

Running a fitness Instagram account that boasts more than 13,000 followers, Geuy said he has made it his goal to help people understand that everyone has the ability to be successful.

“I just wanted to show everyone, regardless, tall, short, skinny or fat that you can do it,” Geuy said.

Geuy’s positive outlook has affected not only his life, but those of the people around him. 

“Paul is constantly in relentless pursuit of achieving the extraordinary. His gnawing hunger for perfection, for the elite, for the next goal, is awe-inspiring,” Clair Crawford, a follower turned friend of Geuy, said. “Paul is an inspiration to anyone that crosses his path.”

Geuy said his next goal is to compete on NBC’s “The Titan Games,” a fitness challenge-style reality show hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson that invites contestants to compete against one another, similar to “American Ninja Warrior.”

Geuy was invited to the official combine in 2018, but didn’t make the cut.

“It kind of lit that fire in me, like it was baseball all over again,” Geuy said.

He is pursuing a second chance at competing on the show, and if it’s anything like his previous endeavors, it’s only a matter of time before he perseveres.

“Even if I don’t get on this year, I’m going to try ’til get on. Whether that’s season five, 10 or 20, I’m going to go for it,” Geuy said.