A news story I'd like to share...

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This boy was one of my training partners at athletics last year. I trained with him several times a week for most of 2012. At that point he was a standing athlete, in shot put and discus, and was exceptional at both - he was considered to be a future gold medallist at the Paralympics, and the only reason they didn't select him for London 2012 was because they were worried that the pressure might be too much for a 14 year old. Since then he had a second stroke and lost movement in one of his legs. I can't imagine getting used to life after a debilitating stroke, only to have another one and have to get used to it all over again. What did he do? He just kept going. He didn't say "well that's my promising Paralympic career down the pan", he simply went about gaining reclassification as a wheelchair athlete.

And now a few months later he has gone to the World Championships and broken the World Record.

At 15.

I feel humbled to know him, and it really makes you think...is life really ever as bad as we think it is? For a 15 year old to have two strokes, be confined to a wheelchair, and a few months later to do this - inspirational.

I guess the lesson is - life is there to be lived. Don't let anything stop you from doing so.

I like this article. Speaking of inspirational, it brings to mind something I sent to master akkarin today, about staff sgt christopher walker, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the US Army. SSG walker lost both arms and one leg in a blast a few years ago, and had a rough time of it for a while. Here lately, hre has been acclimating quite well, even trying out his darryl dixon impression and learning how to shoot a crossbow.

I followed SSG walker's story closely when I heard of it. He exudes quiet strength and humility, more than I will likely ever have. It was a great honor to meet him in person last summer when he came to the veterans of foreign wars (VFW) hall in my little town and I got to shake his hand and speak with him in the shade for a while. He remains the only person I have written a fan letter to in over 15 years.

If you get a chance, please check out his FB page , staff sgt christopher walker page (copy and paste into fb search). There are some great pics on it, and he posts fairly regularly. As I mentioned in my initiates training, tere are very few people that I would call 'hero'. He is one of them.