The Art of Being RESPONSIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE
I spent several weeks with friends and family living my best life in Costa Rica on an incredible trip engaging in Whitewater rafting, meditating, zip lining, and so many adventures with family.
I have received so many private messages on how irresponsible it is for me to be going Whitewater rafting or other physical adventures
I live by a philosophy in life for myself and myself only… Not only do I live my story, but I am RESPONSIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE.
Let me explain. I’m a big researcher whenever I do anything and then I go with the flow. I research the consequences of my actions if I engage in any semi-extreme activity & then weigh the pros and cons.
RACE CAR DRIVING AS A QUADRIPLEGIC – Breaking Boundaries
I connected with the most amazing group of human beings – The All Veterans Group. These heroic brave men and women have fought for our country, risked their lives, and still find the time (whether on active duty or retired) to help people live their best lives. They work with veterans, families, and people with disabilities heal from trauma, experience life in a new way, and are just a ton of fun.
I had the distinct privilege to meet Mike Elliott who founded most of the team and are all retired from the Golden Knights Parachute Team. The Golden Knights are a USA Army parachute team and they are a demonstration and competition parachute team. They provide hope, inspiration, and true patriotism for all those who have served in the Armed Forces.
Mike formed the All Veterans Group where they jump professionally for corporate events, major sports games, and so much more. The team is comprised of gold medalists, record holders, and community leaders. It is a team with a purpose! As with any beautiful story and mission it usually starts with tragedy. One of Mike’s best friends, Dave Wherley, took his own life suffering from PTSD in 2013. After his liked ended, Mike, dedicate his life to continuing his legacy.
https://www.allveterangroup.org/
These folks are the best of the best and we were strategizing techniques for skydiving, which I am so excited to take part in October. When I was down there in Fayetteville, North Carolina – we thought… Hey, let’s go racecar driving!
This team is so much fun, but they are professional to the highest level. The minute logistics and safety came into play… It’s all business. I love meeting new and incredible people and I’ve adopted the entire team!
There are so many ways to heal from trauma and this is one Beautiful Way the entire team gives back to community.
How do you give back to your community?
#healingjourney #healingprocess #youcandohardthings #HopeAndHealing #inspiredaily #liveyourpurpose #keynotespeaking #keynotespeaker #TEDx #tedxspeaker #missiondriven #usaarmymilitary #givebacktothecommunity #advocacymatters #advocate #wheelchairlife #wheelchairgirl #goldenknights #allveteransgroup #BeTheDifference
ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR – Hygiene Accessibility
Before my accident it was quite automatic to just wake up, roll out of bed, walk into the bathroom, brush my teeth, use my hands to turn on the sink, wash my face, etc. It wasn’t until months after I returned home from the hospital when my caregivers were helping me with my hygiene activities that I realized my bathroom was simply not accessible.
I adapted the best I could and still do. When I finally purchased my condo in 2020, I made my sink area accessible with respect to being able to roll under the vanity itself. However, as it came to the faucet I needed to adapt to the products currently on the market. They are still not accessible, but I made them work through adaptive behavior for myself.
My hands are paralyzed and I have limited upper body movement. I find if I lean forward, I can turn on the sink faucets myself and pull myself forward to get my hands wet. I also found an electric toothbrush helps tremendously because I can rest it in my little paralyzed “paws” while my teeth get clean. In the early days after my accident, I had people brush my teeth, but ended up with a tremendous number of cavities.
As you will see from the video, I will show you all of my solutions and “Hacks” around my bathroom that I use to make my life just a little bit more independent.
As many of you know I believe showing parts of my personal and private life that many may feel uncomfortable watching whether this is for my intimate life to how I get dressed to simply how I brush my teeth. Why? Well, as with anything I do, I love to help people. If this one video gives someone an idea to help a loved one or themselves then it’s a win for me.
In the dark humor department… I am pretty much naked 60% of my day and somehow was not born with a modesty gene in my body 🙂 I’m not sure if this comes from my German roots of growing up half naked and running around naked as a child in the Bahamas or simply because of my international background.
In any event, for me it all comes down to VULNERABILITY. This very much plays into being a keynote speaker in bringing my, hopefully, true authentic self to the stage when helping individuals or companies learn how to tackle the most challenging problems in the face of adversity & turn them into achieving personal or professional goals.
How do you bring your authentic self to work or in your life? What do you feel comfortable or uncomfortable sharing with the world?
UNITED AIRLINES – BROKEN Wheelchair (My LEGS) AGAIN
It almost feels as though every time I travel, I’m living Groundhog Day.
There are a few major challenges that I’d like to address. The first is that every major airline contracts with a third-party company to handle ground transportation (folks that help individuals with disabilities inside the airplane & around the airport.) Very occasionally I get folks who are semi-knowledgeable & really great at taking direction on how I need to be moved. More often than not though, and it happened on my most recent trip to Denver… The several men trying to lift me in and out of chairs did not speak English. This is very challenging when you’re trying to give directions.
The other major issue that stands out in my mind is the baggage handlers who are responsible for putting the wheelchairs on the plane. I really want to stress that most of them do the best they can b/c many of them are not trained properly and they also have to get luggage out fast!
Most domestic flights in the US usually are generally Boeing 737 planes or smaller. This is problematic b/c the aft cargo door opens to 35”. Generally, power wheelchairs are higher than this. Even if you break your wheelchair down and take the backrest off as I do… The doors open inwards which makes the clearance even lower. Why is this problematic? Well, b/c you have to slightly tip the wheelchair in manual mode to roll it in, but you CANNOT PUT IT ON ITS SIDE.
Most folks do this b/c they don’t take the time to ask the passenger what is the best way to move the chair and get it out. I happen know the answer and when I am flying to a destination I always get to meet with the chief operations director to guide them. The problem is when we land, even when I give the captain directions to please tell them not to move my chair before they take it out of the plane, this usually doesn’t happen. So, the guys on the other end are left wondering how the heck to get this wheelchair out. At the end of the video, you will see 2 photos of these challenges.
Oh, did you know animals have more rights on planes than people with disabilities?
I will give credit to United and that their corporate office did call me the next day and are working in an expedited fashion to resolve this. It’s not really altruistic b/c it’s generally cheaper to pay for a handful of broken $30K wheelchairs than put a robust training program in place for their staff. It behooves them to pay attention to this b/c any press on this issue is bad news for them.
I have another chair, but many do no not. Thousands of us are constantly trying to bring awareness of this issue and implore airlines to work directly with us.
HUMBLED to be recognized in CEO Los Angeles Magazine.
Have a read: https://ceolosangeles.com/leadership/12-amazing-thought-leaders-making-a-positive-impact-globally-in-2024/
There are no words and, honestly, extreme gratitude to be 1 of the 12 featured thought leaders from CEO Los Angeles. The leaders in this article are in a field of their own and I am honored to be written alongside of them.
I love advocates, thought leaders, and folks who are trying to push the boundaries of what is possible. We are only limited by our own belief systems and our perspectives. I think a key ingredient for any great leader affecting systemic change is one where they have no ego. There’s no room for ego.
There a few times in life when I can honestly say I started to develop an ego and I was immediately was smacked down by life in one way or another. This taught me a lot and living a life with a significant disability now, paralyzed from the chest down, my body alone simply humbles me every day. Just when I think I have something figured out, the opposite happens. This is an incredible life lesson for me on a daily basis because it does, not only keep me humble, but keeps me pushing for change where there are injustices in the world.
While I Walk Again?
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, I am often approached by strangers and asked if I will ever walk again? Or, I’m told I will walk again if I just work harder or pray. If we are just talking science here for a minute … I think it’s important to unpack what actually causes paralysis when an individual experiences a physically traumatic event damaging the spinal cord.
What Makes You Paralyzed?
TEDx Talk NOW LIVE (Big Impact with just 30 seconds)
I am so excited to share this with you — My TEDx talk: TURNING PARALYSIS INTO PURPOSE: USING ADVERSITY TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS
I put my heart, my soul, and what I truly believe in life — paying it forward — to help other human beings, into this incredible journey wrapped up into 16 minutes.
YOU ARE THE DIFFERENCE
If you watch my TEDx talk and leave a comment – it encourages the algorithm to share my TEDx with others around the world.
I would be incredibly honored and grateful if you would share with your networks and pay it forward by spreading a message, I truly believe in.
ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS?
No problem. Just launch the video and let it play in the background. Each one of you make a huge difference by simply clicking to play (and bonus if you leave a supportive comment)
MOVING FORWARD
As I continue to embark on this incredible speaking journey, I look forward to keeping everyone updated and I will be hosting a LIVE LAUNCH WATCH PARTY with a fellow TEDx Speaker of mine for 1 hour where there is no topic off limit and you can ask me absolutely anything!
Stay tuned for another announcement with the launch party date. If you are unable to attend, I will post the video on YouTube to watch later.
I would not be here today without hundreds of incredibly close mentors and supporters over the years. I feel incredible privileged to be able to hopefully use my message to pay it forward to others.
Changing Lives – (Healing through Scuba Diving)
I posted a few pictures a few weeks ago when I went Adapted Scuba Diving with Thresher Aquatics. Many of you have seen my shark diving video, but I want to assure you that those that don’t feel like diving with sharks – Thresher has incredible spots all around South Florida to see fish, reefs, racks, and so much more.
I’m always completely fascinated by the behind-the-scenes of how one in a wheelchair gets a wetsuit on, gets off the boat into the water, or gets into the water from the beach, etc. I like to know what I’m getting into and have a plan. So, I made a video (Teaser below) – full video above on YouTube channel.
For me, the water is one of the most healing places. For some it may be mountain biking or adaptive kayaking, choose your outdoor bliss as it may. For those interested in adaptive scuba diving, I couldn’t recommend Thresher Aquatics more highly. The team is professional, trained in diving with folks with disabilities, funny as heck, it really is a second family of mine now.
My mental health is so sacred and I worked incredibly long hours and sometimes seven days a week. I save up several times a year to go on wacky outdoor adventures because that is my happy place and I hold onto those moments when I don’t feel like the day will not end and I am in front of the screen for 12 hours straight (today will be one of those days). It keeps me motivated, continues to give me energetic fuel to push forward in my daily life & advocacy efforts.
I hope this inspires and motivates a few reading this to go out, and try something a with scuba diving is your jam or if you have a loved one who may be interested.
Breaking Boundaries – Intentional Shark dive as a C6 Complete quadriplegic
I had the distinct pleasure to work with the beautiful 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Thresher Aquatics, down in South Florida.
In particular, this Shark Dive, with Thresher Aquatics and Shark Junkie — I attempted something they have never attempted before. They took me, a complete C6 quadriplegic on a shark feed dive. As far as we are aware and we have checked the Guinness world book of records … I am the first to do this in the world.
I even applied for the Guinness world book of records and will wait to see if we can make this a reality.
There is no other feeling in the world like getting out of your wheelchair and feeling the weightlessness of the water. Then add scuba diving, then add sharks … My complete heaven.
So many of us work so hard to save up for retirement to then live our lives. I live in a different world. I live in a world where the astounding amount of secondary complications, such as a simple urinary tract infection, can kill me within 72 hours.
I refuse to wait to live my life. I work incredibly hard and I almost work even harder at making sure each moment/memory is an experience of a lifetime. I am living my story because I don’t want to find myself years down the road regretting chances I didn’t take.
I’ve been invited by Shark Junkie (@thesharkjunkie) and Thresher Aquatics (@thresheraquatics) to join them to a trip to Bimini in the Bahamas for a shark dive with Tiger sharks and hammerheads. I’m so excited.
Anyone who is in a wheelchair or has significant mobility impairment simply has to check them out because they are the most incredibly professional, fun, and life-changing team.
I found my new hobby and it invigorates me to work harder every day.
