"Never Give In"

Almost 76 years ago, on October 29th of 1941, Sir Winston Churchill delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of persistence.  A famous quotation from his address goes,

“[N]ever give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”

These words came to mind when I read about athlete Chris Whyte, who was told he would never walk again after a spinal cord injury.  This year, he participates in the Baltimore Running Festival for the third time.  Six months after his injury, he walked the course; the next year, he jogged; and this year, he has been planning to ride his bicycle and escort Kennedy Krieger’s hand-cycling team.  Stories like those of Chris Whyte (and Team Kennedy Krieger) are encouraging and deserve to be told.  Crossing that finish line requires immense effort and diligence.  It’s harder than it looks.

Journey Forward Walk

Here's an article about an annual event held by Journey Forward, an exercise-based therapy center.  Their clients who are recovering from spinal cord injuries have the opportunity to participate in a mile walk together as part of a fundraiser for others.  As you can see from this video of the 2017 walk, there are many different levels of walking ability represented here, with promise of more returns to come.

Running Marathons

Many years after the car accident that caused his spinal cord injury, (former) quadriplegic Alan Robinson walked over 15 hours on Sunday.  He was completing the Chicago Marathon - his 20th marathon since the accident.  Never give up!

A Balancing Exoskeleton

News of an exoskeleton in development: a device that enables walking without crutches for balance.  Another indication of how much coordination is required for everyday mobility!