Athlete Jill Kinmont Succeeded Surmounting New Challenges After Paralyzing Accident

Flipping through Netflix recently, my family and I came across ‘The Other Side of the Mountain.’  It’s the story of Jill Kinmont, an Olympic-bound Alpine skier and her courageous struggles as a paraplegic.  We watched it, and even watched the sequel too.  Although these movies may not fit the description of blockbusters, they certainly show the life of a hero.

Aspiring Olympian Jill Kinmont was featured on the cover of ‘Sports Illustrated’ the week a crash in a race changed her life forever.  In Alta, Utah, Jill was speeding down the course when she lost control and careened off the mountain.  (I have to say that watching that scene in the movie was amazing!  She literally skied off a cliff, just as scary as any skiing nightmare.)  Laying in the snow, not feeling anything, she wondered if she was dead.  Instead, her neck was broken, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down.  Although at first Jill thought she could work hard enough to ski again, her injury was significant enough to confine her to a wheelchair.  She could only use her arms with effort, her hands were curled up into fists.

Faced with a complete change in direction, Jill square her shoulders and got to work.  Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she worked tirelessly to regain what mobility she could.  After considerable effort, she learned to feed herself, write and paint with the use of devices clamped to her hand.  Anyone who has had to rehabilitate through an injury knows that this takes concentrated effort.  

Jill’s parents took care of Jill, doing for her the things she couldn’t do for herself.  Jill needed help to sit up in bed and to dress.  Once dressed, she needed help getting into a wheelchair.  Without functioning fingers, many routine tasks were taken over by her parents.  With their support, Jill decided to get a college education.  She graduated from UCLA with degrees in German and English.  When she set her sights on teaching, she faced a new foe:  discrimination.

Los Angeles schools refused to hire disabled teachers.  California colleges followed suit and refused to admit disabled students into the School of Education.  Jill pressed on, moving north to Washington State where she earned her teaching certificate at the University of Washington.  She taught remedial reading at a local school there until she and her mom returned to Los Angeles a few years later.  The California school districts continued to refuse to hire her, even with teaching experience under her belt.  Finally, she got a teaching job in Beverly Hills, a city district.  Jill taught remedial reading there for several years.  Later she taught disabled students in another district, and started a scholarship fund for Native Americans. 

In spite of her disability, Jill enjoyed a full wonderful life.  She married for love and stayed married.  And she painted and participated in shows.  She never let her disability be an impediment to her happiness or her life goals. 

Jill explained, "My way of wanting to do all this stuff probably stems a lot from my competitive endeavors because I like to focus on something, I'm sort of determined."

When Jill faced a new and unconquerable challenge in her injury, she took the same energy and determination and applied it to her new challenges.  Regaining as much mobility as she could, then becoming a teacher against the ‘system’ took real effort and stamina.  She knew how to train to be an Olympian; she applied the same skills to her new future and succeeded.  We can do the same with any of our challenges.

Sources:

Boxall, Bettina. "Jill Kinmont Boothe Dies at 75; Ski Champ Disabled in Crash Became Role Model." Los Angeles Times 11 February 2012: No Page. Web.

Crowe, Jerry. "Jill Kinmont Boothe is Still Going Strong More Than 50 Years After Paralyzing Skiing Accident." Los Angeles Times 22 May 2011: No Page. Web.

The Other Side of the Mountain. Dir. Larry Peerce. 1975. Film.

The Other Side of the Mountain: Part 2. Dir. Larry Peerce. 1978. Film.

My Top 5 Heroes for Starting Running

Last night as I drove through Atlanta, I noticed a sign on the interstate that read, “Dial 511 for HERO help.”  I thought of this today as I prepared to go running again.  I am trying to get fit and healthy, which is requiring changes that take effort and determination.  And running today took courage!  I needed HERO help, but not to change a tire or help in an emergency.  I needed heroes for courage.

I have been told that running is all mental—it takes more mental exertion to succeed than physical strength.  I believe that!  Today I needed a hero to help me put the ‘I think I can’ into my head.  Here are my top 5 heroes for starting a running program.

1.  Gail Devers.  As a runner, she fought back from a cancer that nearly killed her.  While sick she could only crawl, so she had to work really hard to run fast again.  She eventually won gold in two Olympic games.  Anyone who can walk can run.  Read about Gail here: Gail Devers

2.  Dick Hoyt.  Another runner, he’s an old man by most standards (age 73) but still competes in Triathlons while pushing his disabled son!  Yes, he shows that old bodies can still perform well.  Read about Dick here:  Dick Hoyt

3.  Glenn Cunningham.  After suffering terrible burns over most of his body as a child, he taught himself how to walk, then run again.  As a runner, he went on to win silver in Olympic games.  If you don’t have any serious problems with your legs like Glenn did, you can run again.  Read about Glenn here: Glenn Cunningham

4.  Oksana Chusovitina.  As an aging gymnast, she continued to compete in her sport well beyond the age of retirement to help her son.  If she can do those difficult moves in her late thirties, one can certainly teach a body how to run again.  Read about Oksana here:  Oksana Chusovitina

5.  Don Magee.  As a middle aged man, he began slowly to do push-ups in support of his wife’s exercise regime.  Now he can do 4000 in a day at nearly 80 years old.  He shows us that a little bit every day adds up to a lot over time.  Read about Don here:  Don Magee 

 

I can train this body again to run because I know others have done harder things than this.  There are many more heroes we can look to, but these are my top 5 for today.  I ran 2 miles and walked 1.5 miles over hilly terrain today and I felt great.  I’ll get to be running all of it as I continue to train myself for health and fitness.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft.com

Don Magee Pushes LImits With 4000 Push-Ups

Don Magee just set an amazing record:  he did 4000 push-ups in one day.  That is not a typo.  He did four thousand push-ups in one day.  For most people, doing 40 in one day would be a challenge.  For elite athletes, doing 400 in one day would be remarkable.  But Don did multiple times that.  

The kicker is that Don is almost 80 years old!  

Don wasn’t always a super-push-up athlete.  He didn’t really begin doing lots of push-ups until he was in his fifties, when his wife Florence was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.  Doctors advised her to fight it through exercise, which she did.  Don and Florence began visiting a gym early each morning to work out.  Florence didn’t realize that when Don joined her in exercising, he would become obsessed with performing push-ups.  He does at least 1000 daily, dropping for 20 between golf rounds and while standing in line during errands.  

When Don started doing pushups, it hurt to do just 25.  He added 5 each time he tried and just kept adding them.  He likes doing push-ups because they don’t require any special equipment, and they really helped him get in shape.  After several months, Don could do 100 without stopping and his obsession flamed.  He set goals which propelled him to this latest milestone.  In 2007, he topped 3,000 at the age of 74.  It was then that he set his sights on the number 4,000.  It wasn’t until recently that he realized he was rattling off more than his usual number of push-ups and this goal was reachable.  

To reach 4,000, Don did sets of 250 with just a few minutes rest in between sets.  When he had exhausted himself, he took a nap!  Refreshed, he started anew and reached 4,000.  For good measure, he threw in 50 more.   

He wants to show people, particularly the elderly, that everyone can exercise and improve their fitness levels.  “I wanted to make a statement that just because you’re old, it doesn’t mean you can’t do things.  You can stay active.” 

Now that he’s reached this goal, what will he do?  He said, “I’m still going to continue doing my 1,000 a day.  That’s what is keeping me in condition.  But it doesn’t make any difference how many you can do.  If you can do three, do three as many times as you can, and then add two to it.”  

Don is doing a terrific job showing this with this new record.  His training plan is applicable to most endeavors; start small and keep adding.  Slow and steady work can pay off big.  Like Don, we can set goals and reach them with hard work and determination. 

Works Cited

Cline, Todd. "New Record for Push-Up King." Gwinnett Daily Post 3 July 2013: 8A. Print.

Sugiura, Ken. "3010 Push-ups at 74 Years Old." Atlanta Journal Constitution 8 Nov 2007. Print.

Need Inspiritation? Read This. BodyBuilding.com. 14 Jan 2008. Web. 3 July 2013.

Photo courtesy of Mathnexus.com

Dick Hoyt Gives Disabled Son Rick a Wonderful RideThrough Life

After enjoying a rare Father's Day with my own Dad, I thought I'd share the story of one of my favorite Dad heroes here.  I hesitate to rewrite his story, as it is told very well on the blog that sponsors their work.  But I need to at least touch on the finer points, as their son Rick is about my age.  I can't help but put myself in his shoes and feel gratitude for the experiences Dick has brought to him.

After a rough birth, Judy Hoyt and her husband Dick were dismayed to learn that their newborn son was going to be disabled.  Because of a lack of oxygen during the birth, little Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and would be confined to a wheel chair.  Facing this devastating news, Dick and Judy were encouraged to put Rick into an institution where he could be cared for by professionals.  Realizing that doing so would be equivalent to giving him away, they refused.  Instead they chose to train themselves to care for him as well as the professionals.  And they tried to give him a 'normal' childhood, as normal as they could.

Note that Rick was born in 1962 when disabilities were still hidden and normalcy was championed.  That's a nice way of saying that people still gawked at disabled people in public and many times shunned them from society.  There were very few if any disabled people enrolled in public schools because bullying was rampant and regarded as a rite of passage, even a necessary part of growing up.  Parents of children like Rick had few options-- institutionalize or do it all themselves at home.  As they were unable to enroll him in public schools, Dick and Judy did taught him at home.  Judy taught him the alphabet with sandpaper letters and labelled everything in the house with its name. 

Rick was a bright boy hidden in a body that didn't work very well.  He couldn't speak and could barely control his movements.  Working with him, his parents were convinced he really had a keen mind.  They made efforts to find ways for him to communicate with them.  Contacting Tufts University, Dick and Judy arranged for a special computer to be made with a cursor and a keyboard.  A sensor was placed in a headpiece near Rick's head.  He could move the cursor to letters, then bump the sensor with his head to select a letter and form words on the screen.  At ten years old, Rick could finally communicate!  His first words?  'Go Bruins!'  The family had been watching the Stanley Cup Finals with Rick's favorite team, the Boston Bruins. 

As Ricks intelligence became more and more apparent now that he could communicate, the family continued to work toward his enrollment in public schools.  Those efforts paid off when Rick was 13 and he was finally accepted.

A few years later, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a benefit run to help a lacrosse player who had recently become paralyzed in a terrible accident.  Dick was not a runner, but agreed to push Rick in a wheelchair through the 5 mile race.  Completing the race second to last, Dick was amazed when Rick told him how much he enjoyed being in the race.  Rick made a pivotal statement, words that changed Dick's life forever:

"Dad, when I'm running, I feel like I'm not handicapped."

Those words had a huge impact on Dick.  He finally had a way to help his disabled son feel freed from his handicaps.  Even if it was just for a few minutes at a time, when Dick ran pushing Rick in a wheelchair, Rick felt normal.  Dick did what a great dad will do for his child:  he made it happen as often as he could.

Thirty-seven year old Dick began running daily pushing bags of cement (because Rick was in school,) training for whatever races in which they could run.  Starting small with 5k races, soon Dick could run longer races like Marathons with Rick.  A special three wheeled chair became Rick's favorite place as he ran with his father.  As Dick became stronger, Dick entered Triathlons,  in which participants swam, biked and ran.  For the swim portion, Rick rides in a small blow-up boat while Dick pulls it with a vest and cables attached to the boat.  Completing the swim, Dick scoops up Rick and buckles him into a seat in the front of a specially made bike.  From there, Dick carries Rick to his special running chair to sprint to the finish.  There is hardly anything more touching to see Dick, an aged father, running with his son in his arms.

Dick and Rick have completed over 1000 races together, including 70 Marathons, some Duathlons and 6 Ironman Triathlons.  Their personal best time in a 5K is 17 minutes!  (My best is in the 20's, and I am just running, not pushing anyone.)  They have also crossed the continent running and biking, doing so in 1992 in 45 days. 

They have run the Boston Marathon 30 times!  My husband Scott ran it twice; it's a challenging race.  I can't imagine how hard it would have been for him to push over 100 pounds the whole time!  And Dick has done that 30 times!

Just prior to the Boston Marathon in April 2013, a bronze statue was dedicated to them.  Later, when they were running the Boston Marathon, the bombs went off when they were one mile from the finish line.  Neither were injured, although they were caught up in the confusion and disappointment as were the other runners. 

With his family's support, Rick completed high school and went on to graduate from Boston University with a degree in Special Education.  He taught courses at Boston College for a while.

Dick's favorite statement is, "Yes, You Can!"  He taught that to his son and lives it with every race they run. 

Now that Dick is 73 and Rick 51, they have lessened their race schedule, while increasing their speaking schedule.  Together they make a very motivational team as they speak to school students and business groups. Their goal is to educate people about living with disabilities, but they teach so much more.   They can show that, with determination and support, people can do amazing things. And that a father's love changes lives.

When Rick was asked what he could give his father, he said, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."

I can't help but admire this wonderful man, Dick Hoyt, for the sacrifices he made to give his disabled son Rick a good life.  It's amazing to see this over 70 year old man, a really old man by society's standards, running a Marathon while pushing his son.  When you question if you can do something hard, remember Dick Hoyt.  Yes, you really CAN do it.

Watch 'Can,' the inspirational video telling their story.  It can be seen at www.teamhoyt.com.  Have kleenex handy.

Photo courtesy of AMS vans found at blog.amsvans.com

Sources:

Team Hoyt.  Wikipedia.  30 May 2013.  Accessed 26 June 2013.  Web.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Hoyt

Team Hoyt.  2012.  Accessed 26 June 2013.  Web.  www.teamhoyt.com. 

Jade Wilcoxson Turned a Diagnosis into a Triumph

Most people have a hard time taking their doctor’s advice when they are told to change behaviors.  No one wants to adopt diet restrictions or begin exercising, even when his or her health is on the line.  If he or she complies, it’s usually just to meet the new requirements.  It’s a rare person who exceeds doctor recommendations.  Jade Wilcoxson is one of those rare people who not only exceeded her doctor’s expectations in her lifestyle changes, she became a national champion and is poised to compete in the next Olympic games!

Jade was 26 years old when she learned that her blood sugar levels were high and that she carried a genetic predisposition to diabetes.  She didn’t feel any differently, but she had seen what diabetes had done to several of her family members.  Jade knew that she needed to take even better care of her body to avoid developing this disease. She had played soccer professionally and dabbled in other sports and she already ate nutritiously.  What more could she do?

The same year she learned she was prediabetic, Jade had completed a doctorate degree in physical therapy.  Each day, Jade worked with disabled patients overcoming obstacles in performing physical tasks.  She recalled, “It takes months of hard work to go from not being able to move in bed to being able to walk at home safely, and it is painful work.  Those patients inspired me.”

Some friends dragged Jade out to mountain bike with them.  She was surprised that she could stay up with them through the rough course, although she was riding for the first time.  “They were shocked when I could hang on with them and ride a lot of the stuff they thought was difficult.  So, being a very competitive person, I was intrigued by the opportunity to be able to show the boys I could [beat them] on a regular basis.”

After a while, Jade’s roommate’s brother dragged Jade and her new mountain bike to a 100 mile race.  Jade placed ahead of all of the other women competing!  She was stunned, and hooked!  She trained for hours after work.  Switching to a road racing bike, Jade began to train for speed.  Jade began competing in local races in her hometown and winning.  When she beat Kristin Armstrong (an Olympic Gold medalist) at the 2011 Sea Otter Classic, she quit her job and turned professional.  She was now 34 years old, ten years older than the average age of professional cyclists.  Despite that fact, Jade had talent, trained hard, and won races!  

Jade joined a cycling team with three other cyclists named “Optum Pro,” named after a health-care company.  With the help of a trainer, and years of training, this team won the US Pro National Championship last week!  Jade was the first to cross the finish line and gets to wear a special jacket all year.  She humbly said, “I just happened to be the lucky one that crossed the line. Cycling is funny that way. It is 100% a team sport, but in many ways, only one person gets the recognition.”  Now she has set her eyes on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, when she will be 38 years old!  That will be a race to watch.

Jade hopes that she is setting a good example for good health, using her new celebrity status to send a public health message to the world.  She has lost 20 pounds since her diagnosis 9 years ago and her blood sugar levels are back to normal.  People are hearing her story about how she turned her pre-diabetic diagnosis around.  “I struggle with what I’m doing now to help people’s lives, to help the world as a whole.  Cycling is a selfish profession.  You have to be self centered in your training and travel.” 

Her advice to all of us:  “Make some changes that will pay off tenfold down the road.”  That’s exactly what Jade did—she made changes that paid off in a big way almost 10 years later.  Not only did she stave off a terrible debilitating disease, but she became a National Champion!  Jade shows us that we can take bad news and make something great with hard work and determination.

Works Cited

Helliker, Kevin. "Cycling's One-in-a-Million Star." Wall Street Journal 14 June 2013: d8. Print.

Wilcoxson, Jade. Jade Wilcoxson.com. 3 June 2013. web. 20 June 2013.  

Photo courtesy of Flickr