"My son was a big mentor to me, he was telling me, 'Dad, just be patient, don’t worry, it’s going to work out,' ... because I used to say that to him as a kid... and I love that role reversal." “There are stand-up comics but I can’t find a sit-down comic. I can make jokes about things that no one else could touch with a 10-foot pole, and I’m only a five-foot pole. I need to go back to work.” "What really helped me get back into the swing of things is figuring out what you’re most afraid of, just overcoming fear. The higher the fear threshold, the higher the reward." "My goals are not necessarily to walk again. My goals are to stay healthy because a disability doesn't mean that I'm unhealthy." Check out her organization Backbones at https://backbonesonline.com!
“Most of the books I found were people telling me, ‘Okay, this is what happened to me.’ That’s helpful but that’s not what I want -- I want a “how-to.” So I decided, fine, I know what I want. If I can’t find it, I’ll write it. Find Carolyn's book, "A Complete Plain-English Guide To Living With A Spinal Cord Injury," at https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Plain-English-Living-Spinal-Injury-ebook/dp/B0014E6ZAU.
“A spinal cord injury is a long term injury for most people, and... you need to approach it as a long-term investment. Nobody is going to fight harder for you than you’re going to fight for yourself. So... you need to be ready to be the captain of the ship.” "Don't feel like you have to go any route. If you don't want to do support groups, don't want to do your peer mentoring for a while, don't do it. But be open to that possibility re-emerging in your life." "Don't feel like you have to go any route. If you don't want to do support groups, don't want to do your peer mentoring for a while, don't do it. But be open to that possibility re-emerging in your life." William W Bowie III - C4 Complete Quadriplegic from Connecticut, USA, 15 years post-injury4/24/2020
"The fact that I was still alive... knowing that I was blessed with a second opportunity to live a life, however limited it might be, was a blessing." "Never let your disability stop you. It’s going to slow you down so much, it’s going to be so frustrating, but just continue to persist." “Your wheelchair can literally be your legs anyway. Yeah you may not be able to go jump and leap, and maybe not be able to go up stairs as easy and other things, but there’s always something that can aid you in that way. "Everything that is taking up my free time outside of work now revolves around having a spinal cord injury... and I’ve just become so passionate about becoming a part of this bigger community." Meet Vincenzo Piscopo, disability advocate and entrepreneur. "After [Dubai] I went to China, to Japan, to Kenya, to Latin America... it was... like my destiny telling me, 'Dude, you have no excuses.'" Yancey "Brother Born" Horton - T10 Incomplete Paraplegic from Connecticut, USA, 15 years post-injury8/26/2019
Meet Yancey "Brother Born" Horton, a father, boxer, and martial artist. "Be true to yourself, love yourself, and don't let nobody else's ideas of you overcome your own ideas of you." Meet Jenn Wolff OTR/L, who believes that collective advocacy, technology, and community can transform our lives: "When you think of the environment being the barrier rather than the wheelchair, it's a life changer." Meet Carneggy Lamothe, aspiring writer, poet, mentor, and electrician, who believes we all have a story to tell Meet Matthew Tilford - advocate, adventurer, and water-skier! "Don’t wait until you’re walking to start living life...that’s great if you start walking again, I hope you do, I pray for you... but for today let's live life like this is what we have." Meet Carlie Cook. Injured at 3, she grew up in the confidence that walking wasn't her goal - promoting wheelchair basketball internationally, becoming a recreational therapist for children, and mastering rock climbing is her jam. Meet Amber, aspiring motivational speaker and fashion vlogger who believes you shouldn't be afraid to live your truth. "Before, if you were to ask, 'Who are you, Kendra?' ... I would say things in terms of like what I like to do... but now I know myself much better... and I want to be able to be a force for good in the world." Meet Everett Mosher. Once an outdoorsman, always an outdoorsman - even if it means camping in the trunk of a MINI Cooper Clubman. Meet Frank Padro - an adaptive motorcyclist, club member, and representative for "the spirit of pressing on." Matthew Castelluccio - C6 Incomplete Quadriplegic from New York, USA, 15 years post-injury8/12/2019
Meet Matthew Castelluccio - father, husband, and athlete whose wheelchair is a badge of honor, not a symbol of loss. Meet James Donahue - marksman, pilot, and pug ranch entrepreneur... |
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Learn MoreNot sure what type of spinal cord injury you have? Click here to read more about level differences. |