Forrest was labeled a cripple at an early age and wore braces on his legs until a fortuitous incident occurred and he recognized that he did indeed have strength and power in his crippled limbs. The incident began while he was walking home from school with Jenny Curran. A group of teenagers in a pick-up truck started to chase him. Despite his leg braces, he evaded them. With persistence and a determination to get away, he managed to break into full stride and evade his pursuers. He found he was not really crippled after all.