A Model of Courage

On or around September 28th on his 41st birthday, Chris Waddell will summit Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,340 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. What makes this journey so unique is this: Chris Wadell will be the first paraplegic to summit it. He will do this in the "Bomba", a one-of-a-kind, 4-wheel hand cycle propelled entirely be arm power.

Chris Waddell was a promising young skier at Middlebury College in 1988 when a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Determined to get back on the slopes, he began skiing on a monoski roughly one year later. A little more than two years later, Waddell was named to the US Disabled Ski Team. Chris went on to become the most decorated male skier in Paralympic history, winning twelve medals over four games, and spending a total of 11 years on the US Disabled Ski Team.

Since then, Chris has dedicated his courage and commitment to "shining the light on the disabled and has launched "One Revolution", the motto for his expedition along with the name of this documentary which will capture his journey to summit Kilimanjaro. "One revolution means so many things to me. One revolution of the hand cycle, one revolution of the earth, one lifetime, one moment, one change to make a difference."

Chris is a model of courage to me. He represents commitment and determination. He inspires me to stay true to my highest vision despite the obstacles that may be in my way. He demonstrates to humanity that ANYTHING is POSSIBLE. He has a gentleness of spirit that radiates out into the world, make it a better place to be. I am so grateful to know Chris and thank him for being a remarkable gift.

This Sunday, Chris will leave for his expedition. Please join me in sending prayers, positive thoughts and support to Chris and his team for a successful experience. I invite you to visit his website, learn about how he is donating wheel chairs and hand cycles to people in need, watch his videos, and donate to his cause.

To cultivate your own courage this week, ask yourself these three questions:

1. How do I limit myself?
2. What words, statements, inner dialogue do I use to keep myself playing small, safe, or living inside my box?
3. If I had the courage that Chris Waddell embodies, what would I summit?

Photo courtesy of Mike Stoner.