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I will no longer be updating Iron Guide (see below). Instead, I am now writing at my new, personal blog. Though that will be about some of the newer things I'm doing in life, if you want to see updates about Louie, Lester, and now Dusky, add me on Facebook -- there's enough ridiculously cute pictures to go around.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
"God Made Me Blind - Big Deal"
The things that the human body and mind can accomplish are sometimes truly extraordinary. This morning, I found this in my inbox:
"I mean, God made me blind and didn't give me the ability to walk. I mean, big deal." Patrick said, smiling. "He gave me the talent to play piano and trumpet and all that good stuff."
This is Patrick's philosophy in life, and he wants people to know it. He isn't fazed by what many of us would consider insurmountable obstacles.
"I'm the kind of person that's always going to fight till I win," he said. "That's my main objective. I'm gonna fight till I win.
Extraordinary, truly so. But that's not the half of it. Read the original story and you'll find that Patrick's talents in piano and trumpet have taken him to the University of Louisville, where he is now part of their marching band. Yes sir, you read that right -- blind, in a wheelchair, and part of the marching band. "And this is no sit-still-in-the-wheelchair-while-the-band-marches-around-you routine: Patrick and his father are right in the thick of it, with the wheelchair sprinting and spinning in formation and Patrick hanging on and playing his heart out." His father? Yup. Read the story.
For the triathletes and Ironmen in the audience, this will no doubt remind you of Team Hoyt. Rick, a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, and his father, Dick, have competed in nearly a thousand events -- 65 marathons, 25 consecutive Boston Marathons, 20 duathlons, and 200+ triathlons, including 6 Ironman competitions.
When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing. When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike. When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick.
Sure, the Ironman is tough for all of us. But if you're legally blind? 58-year-old Richard Holcomb. Or, if you're also pushing your 45-year-old son for the entire 140.6 miles? Or -- in a different but somehow still the same fight -- blind, in a wheelchair, and part of the Louisville marching band?
The things that the human body and mind can accomplish are sometimes truly extraordinary.
Labels: Ironman
Permalink | Written at 9:26 PM | Post a comment | 2 comments | TrackbacksI just wanted to say Congrats on being in guide dog news... I follow your blog off and on. Anyway, good job!
Permalink | Posted by
Emily and Suede at January 17, 2008 8:22 PM
Great video and great tips, thanks a lot for putting this Ironman triathlon video online!
Permalink | Posted by
David Hussey at June 8, 2010 6:13 AM
