Tom Whittaker: the first disabled person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest

Tom Whittaker - (born 1949) is the first disabled person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. In 1981 he founded the Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group (C.W.HOG) in Pocatello, Idaho. While living in Idaho, he was active in the southeast Idaho climbing community. On May 27, 1998, on his third attempt, Whittaker reached the summit of Mt. Everest, a lifelong dream, making him the first person with a disability to accomplish this feat. Whittaker's current quest is to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. Whittaker's right foot needed to be amputated following a car accident in 1979. Following this serious accident, he regained his strength and continued climbing. Through training, his prosthetic foot became an advantage to climbing rather than a disadvantage.




To find out more:
www.tomwhittaker.org/ 


www.tomwhittakerblog.com/




Tom Whittaker used a Forty Below custom made single overboot for his artificial leg.

Edward Moore Kennedy Jr.: cancer was discovered in his right leg. The leg was amputated

KENNEDY Ted Jr. - Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr. (born September 26, 1961) is the elder son of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and Virginia Joan Bennett. In 1973 cancer was discovered in his right leg. The leg was amputated. On the same day this surgery took place, Ted Sr. gave his niece Kathleen away at her wedding, rushing back to the hospital afterwards. Kennedy received an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University, a master's degree from Yale University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward Moore Kennedy Jr. displays grace that’s missing in politics

By Peter Gelzinis
Saturday, March 27, 2010

Photo by Ted Fitzgerald

EDWARD M. KENNEDY JR.: Fighting for the disabled.

The bone cancer that took half his left leg 36 years ago did a lot more than change the life of Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr. It has filled him with a sense of purpose that has transcended just about all of the usual Kennedy cliches.
He came to Worcester yesterday, not as a Kennedy cousin, or a possible political heir, but as a 48-year-old disabled man who captivated a convention hall filled with people who work with the developmentally disabled.

Casey Pieretti: Acrobatic Skater and Single Leg Amputee

Copyright © Kathie Fry of SkateLog.com
I met Casey Pieretti for the first time in October of 2001 when he was giving a motivational presentation and skating demonstration to a group of students at an elementary school in the Danish Village of Solvang in Southern California.

How Casey Lost His Leg 
Casey was an active college student and athlete when he lost his leg in an accident caused by a drunk driver. It took several months for him to recover from his traumatic injuries, and during that time he made a decision not to let his accident destroy his life. He began making plans to continue his athletic career after his recovery. After working very hard during several months of physical therapy, Casey started training to become a serious triathlete, setting a goal for himself of not only participating in the most important competitions for amputee athletes, but swimming, cycling, running, and competing against non-amputee athletes as well.

Casey's Message to Kids 
Casey's story about his accident, recovery period, and subsequent career as a triathlon athlete and motivational speaker is an emotional and inspirational tale full of heartbreak, despair, hope, and triumph. His motivational speeches include an anti-drug and alcohol abuse message, but the main focus of his presentation is convincing his audience, not to be afraid of setting lofty goals for themselves, and not to be discouraged, or consider themselves helpless victims, when life deals them a bad hand.

Official Casey Pieretti Web Site 
Pieretti.com
===========================================================

Casey Pieretti - An actor and stuntman who has had a life full of tragedy and triumph. At the age of nineteen, while on a college basketball scholarship, Casey was struck by a drunk driver. The result of this car wreck was the loss of Casey's right leg below the knee. Casey, a below knee amputee, skated from San Diego, California to Washinton D.C. on inline skates in 1993. In the hospital, "they thought that I was in denial, that I was thinking like a person who had two legs all their lives and not like a person who now had one leg, whereas I was thinking like a person who now had one leg and I was thinking that these are the things I intended to do and I did. Even when I was in hospital, I was deciding to be a triathlete, which is what I did after I got out of the hospital."

Bonnie St. John Deane: abuse, divorce, disability, and struggles related to gender or race became author, inspirational speaker, executive coach, TV personality, mother, and seeker of wisdom

Bonnie St. John
Author, Coach & Mother

Bonnie St. John Deane - An international speaker, executive coach, author and the president of SJD&Co. As an Olympic medal-winning skier, author, Rhodes Scholar, Harvard honors graduate and former White House official, Bonnie St. John Deane specializes in high performance under pressure. She has been featured by NBC Nightly News as one of the five most inspiring women in the nation. Having been an amputee most of her life, she knows how to adapt when conditions are less than ideal.

Bonnie St. John is an author, inspirational speaker, executive coach, TV personality, mother, and seeker of wisdom. Bonnie has suffered through many of the difficulties most discussed today: abuse, divorce, disability, and struggles related to gender or race.

Despite these challenges, she has relentlessly sought ways to stay positive and live joyfully no matter what life dishes out. Her deep sense of peace and joy in life has inspired millions of people to want to know what she has learned about finding joy in a crazy world. Her message of falling down and getting up - in life, at an Olympic ski race, or in business - has been sought after by CEOs, recognized in the White House, celebrated on a Starbucks Cup and honored with a doctoral degree for her lifetime commitment to motivating people. More than hope, Bonnie provides practical tips, step-by-step directions, and presents the very latest in social research in an easy-to-use way. "Everyone has the God-given capacity to live joyfully - it doesn't depend on your circumstances. But it does require that you make the choice to identify your joys in life and take action to reach them."

Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi: Italian racing driver crash in 2001 that resulted in the amputation of his leg

Alex Zanardi - Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi (born October 23, 1966 in Bologna, Italy) is an Italian racing driver. He won two CART championship titles in North America during the late 1990s. He also had a less successful career as a Formula One driver. More recently, he has attracted widespread praise for his return to competition in the aftermath of a crash in 2001 that resulted in the amputation of his legs. The crash occurred while Zanardi was leading the race in the closing laps. After a late pit stop, Zanardi was attempting to merge back onto the track when he accelerated abruptly and spun into the path of Alex Tagliani, who was travelling at over 330 km/h (205 mph).

Alex Zanardi Unstoppable

No higher resolution available.

Italian motor racer Alex Zanardi sits in his BMW 320i racing car during a test drive at Italy's Monza race track on Thursday. Zanardi is planning to return to racing next month after he lost both his legs in a crash while driving at an American Formula Cart race in September 2001. — Reuters

Austin Whitney: ‘Exoskeleton’ Helps Paraplegic Graduate Get Diploma

‘Exoskeleton’ Helps Paraplegic Graduate Get Diploma

Posted in Technology by AURUM3 NewTech on the May 15th, 2011
Tags: Austin Whitney, Exoskeleton, Paraplegic, UC Berkeley

Austin Whitney from UC Berkerley is a paraplegic when Austin Whitney when his car crashed into a tree four years ago. UC Berkeley engineers developed an exoskeleton, which is worn by Austin to graduate and receive his diploma. The paralysed 22-year-old rose from his wheelchair and stepped across the UC Berkeley commencement stage and the crowd of 15,000 at Edwards Stadium went wild with cheers.

====================================================================

Austin Whitney

Anti-Drunk Driving and Motivational Speaker 

http://www.austinwhitney.com/

====================================================================

A Robotic Exoskeleton Works Miracles

Walk On Graduating senior Austin Whitney, a paraplegic since 2007, walks toward Chancellor Robert Birgeneau (in blue) and Professor Homayoon Kazerooni at UC Berkeley's graduation ceremonies on May 14. Steve McConnell/UC Berkeley Exoskeletons are valuable for several reasons - they can help military personnel carry a heavier load, and they can be used all in the name of fun. But this one might be the best use of all: A 22-year-old paraplegic college graduate, paralyzed since a 2007 car crash, used an exoskeleton to walk across the stage Saturday to receive his diploma. Austin Whitney, a history and political science major at the University of California-Berkeley, spent nine months working with Homayoon Kazerooni, creator of the HULC exoskeleton and the eLegs rehabilitation system. Whitney used a controller switch on a walker to direct the exoskeleton, which was strapped around his legs. It swung his legs forward, moving him toward Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and a grinning Kazerooni. 

NEWS: Austin walked across the stage at his college graduation with the help of a mechanical exoskeleton on May 14, 2011

Jim Byrnes: TV and movie star is a double AK amputee

Jim Byrnes - TV and movie star  is a double AK amputee James Thomas Byrnes was born on September 22, 1948 in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Blues musician, guitarist, and actor. On February 26, 1972, he was struck by a passing car while he attempted to help a friend move a stalled truck, which caused him to lose both his legs above the knee. He starred in the fantasy television series Highlander: The Series as Joe Dawson, a member of a secret society known as the "Watchers". His other television roles include Higher Ground and cartoon voices in Beast Wars: Transformers, Beast Machines: Transformers, Shadow Raiders, Stargate Infinity, and X-Men: Evolution.

http://www.jamestbyrnes.com/

http://www.pooka.ca/html/jimbyrnes.html

Jim Byrnes:  My Walking Stick

===================================



JIM BYRNES 
Joe Dawson

Jim takes to the screen as MacLeod’s
mortal confidant, Watcher Joe Dawsonhttp://www.highlander-thesource.com/bio-jimbyrnes.htmlAn American-born actor long in Canada, Jim Byrnes is best known for playing 'Lifeguard', the communications expert and link to the "organization" on the CBS series "Wiseguy" (1987-1990), and as Joe Dawson, one of the Watchers tracking the immortals on "Highlander" (syndicated, from 1993-98). A handsome man, often bearded, Byrnes lost both his legs when, while helping push a stalled truck on a highway, he was hit from behind by a car. After recuperating, he pursued work as a musician, which also led to the acting career for which he had once trained.

Born and raised in St Louis, he grew up on the city's north side. As a teenager going to music clubs, he and his buddy were often the only white people in the place. "We never had any problems. We were too naïve, too innocent, and had too much respect for the music and the culture - they knew it, they could tell."
Starting piano at age five, by age thirteen Jim was singing and playing blues guitar, and he continues to play on his favorite guitar, a Gibson 1969 Hummingbird. In addition to being a musician, acting always seemed to strike a chord, ever since he did Shakespeare in the Park in St. Louis when he was 15. He studied acting at Boston University and St. Louis University.
In 1981 he formed the blues group, The Jim Byrnes Band, began playing dates throughout Canada, and has become a staple of the Vancouver music scene. The band has released three albums, "Burnin'", "I Turned My Nights Into Days" and "That River." In 1996, he won the Juno award for Best Blues/Gospel Album for "That River".

He broke into the US TV market in 1987 acting in and singing a song he had written for the NBC miniseries "Hands of a Stranger". "Wiseguy", filmed in Vancouver, Canada, premiered later that year. In addition to acting, Jim has also done voices for the animated series "Dragon Warrior" (syndicated, 1990) and "Megaman" (syndicated, 1996), appeared in the short-lived syndicated series "Neon Rider" (1990) and performed blues songs on an episode of the HBO series "The Hitchhiker". He has co-starred in numerous TV movies, beginning with "The Red Spider" (CBS, 1988). He had strong moments playing a war veteran in the award-winning "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story" (NBC, 1995) and reprised the role of Lifeguard for a "Wiseguy" reunion movie on ABC in 1996. In 1993, he was nominated for a Genie for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his work in "Harmony Cats", and in 1996 won the Leo for Best Actor in a TV Drama for his work in Highlander.

Jim's feature film work has been limited, although he earned good notices as a musician in "Harmony Cats" (1994) and is also recalled as a police lieutenant in "Under the Gun" (1995).
His most recent projects include filming episodes of "The Twilight Zone", "The Dead Zone", and "Just Cause" and doing voice work for both commercials and cartoons. He is also continuing work on an acoustic album, and is very excited about working on a CD with the legendary gospel group The Soul Stirres - the group Sam Cooke started with.