Chris Waddell
“Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” – author unknown
Q: On September 30th you successfully completed the first paraplegic summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Congratulations!
What inspired you to choose this particular mountain?
A: I’d heard that Kilimanjaro was a “walkable” mountain. That put it at least within the realm of possibility for a handcycle. Plus it is the tallest mountain in Africa. The context was important. I think people understand challenging a mountain more than they do disabled sport and I wanted a way to ask people to look at limitations or perceived limitations in a different way.
Chris Waddell and the "Bomba", a specialized one-of-a-kind 4 wheel handcycle created specifically for this expedition. ©Mike Stoner
Q: As a Four-time Paralympian you are very familiar with what it takes to achieve extraordinary success as an athlete. Can you share with us the incredible effort, time and planning it took to put together the right team and equipment to make your dream of reaching the top of Kilimanjaro a reality?
A: This was way bigger than anything I did in Paralympic sport because we approached the whole issue: technology, publicity, fundraising, training, etc. It was a complete team effort. Dave Penney turned conversations about the vehicle into reality and he stretched my idea of physical effort from something finite like my previous competitions to something bordering on infinite–going for huge times and distance. The film is a huge part as well–telling the story, which I didn’t feel happened enough in my athletic career. The entire team sacrificed and raised money to bring this to light–an effort that might well be greater after the climb–definitely a greater need to keep moving forward and raise even more money.
Chris Waddell and his team in Africa on the path to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. © Mike Stoner
Q: While in Tanzania you and your team did more than climb Kilimanjaro. Please tell us about the One-Revolution Foundation and the power and impact it is having in developing countries.
A: One Revolution has two goals: visibility and opportunity. Visibility should be obvious with media and the film. We’re also donating wheelchairs and handcycles to people in Tanzania hoping to help people take the first step.
We’re all the product of our opportunities. In a deviation from our wheels focus we donated a prosthetic leg to a former Kilimanjaro porter who lost his leg in a rock slide while working on the mountain. Tajiri climbed and summited with us becoming we think the first Tanzania leg amputee to summit. He’s become famous and who knows how many people he might affect.
Q: One Revolution is also the name of the documentary focusing on your climb, your story and the message you hope to bring to many around the world. When can we expect to see the film?
A: We’re working on post-production right now. Raising funds will be a challenge but sooner than later. Tentatively, we’ve thrown out March as a target date.
Q: Twenty years ago you were involved in a skiing accident that left you paralyzed from the waist down. Even with resources and support available to them, after such an event some people get stuck in a state of mind that makes it difficult to reinvent a new life in which they feel productive, socially nourished and creatively empowered. Yet you are well known personally and professionally for your incredible inner strength and your expansive, positive attitude towards what is achievable. What has made the difference for you in terms of how you decided to live life before and after the accident?
A: I think you’ve hit on the human condition with this question. How do we do things? How do we stay motivated? The answer to me is that we keep doing them. We keep moving forward. For all of us there’s a tendency to stop. I’ve been lucky to surround myself with great people, to have had a lot of support, and to have had dreams. I don’t know if there’s a bigger answer than just moving forward each day.
Q: Often when one huge goal is achieved, many new ones appear on the horizon calling us forward. What is calling you forward at this time and what would you like to be sharing with the world in five years?
A: The idea is that Kilimanjaro creates a platform. Telling the story, creating opportunities, giving people a chance to see themselves and others differently, I’d like to do it around the world. That’s my hope for five years from now, but hopefully it happens sooner too.
Chris Waddell reaches the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro! 9/30/09 ©Mike Stoner
Q: Who in your life or in the world inspires you the most and why?
A: So many people. We’re surrounded by inspiration. My parents who’ve given so much of themselves so that my brother and I can have great lives–the people who have the guts to go against convention–those pushed by passion–and those who do things about which I can only dream.
Q: What hobbies and activities do you enjoy while at home in Park City, Utah?
A: Recreational sports–skiing, hiking, golf, reading, writing, the Red Sox.
Q: How can people learn more about becoming part of the momentum of One Revolution?
A: Please visit www.one-revolution.org
Video clip from the documentary of Chris and One Revolution
ABOUT CHRIS WADDELL
“The First Paraplegic to Summit Kilimanjaro”
Background: Chris Waddell was a promising young skier at Middlebury College in 1989 when a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Determined to get back on the slopes, he began skiing on a monoski roughly one year after his accident. A little more than two years later, Waddell was named to the US Disabled Ski Team.
Waddell went on to become the most decorated male skier in Paralympic history, winning 13 medals over four games, and spending a total of 11 years on the US Disabled Ski Team.
In addition to his work with the Paralympics and the International Paralympic Committee, Waddell has found success as a motivational speaker. Waddell speaks about the resilience of the human condition, with topics ranging from leadership to adversity, to quality of life.
Waddell has been featured in numerous publications, including Outside Magazine, Skiing, Ski, National Geographic Explorer, and People Magazine who named him one of “The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.” He has also appeared on Dateline and Oprah.
The Expedition: At 19,340 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. Waddell will attempt to be the first paraplegic to summit Kilimanjaro in September of 2009 with a team of experienced colleagues and a camera crew dedicated to documenting the historic climb.
Although Kilimanjaro is considered a “walkable” mountain, typical features such as logs and large rocks prove threatening obstacles for Waddell’s journey the summit.
The Gear: Waddell will be using a one-of-a-kind 4-wheel vehicle to climb Kilimanjaro. The special 4-wheel handcycle (named the Bomba) for paraplegics steers 2 ways, via traditional hand bars and through a special pedal that sits under the chest. All four wheels articulate as much as 13 inches, allowing the Bomba to roll over large objects.
The Motto: One Revolution
One revolution of the handcrank: how Chris will climb Kilimanjaro
One small revolution: how Chris hopes to change society’s perception of the disabled community
One revolution of the globe: how Chris sees steady, fundamental change
One revolution is as simple as it gets
Why: Waddell has dedicated his life to defying the conventional wisdom of what a paraplegic can and cannot do. Through his work with the Paralympics, Waddell has proven that being a “para” doesn’t mean living a disabled life. Waddell’s athletic abilities garnered international attention and have helped to change the way disabled individuals are viewed.
The decision to summit Kilimanjaro, a first for a paraplegic, is intended to “shine the light back on the disabled – to show that if you take the time to look, you might be surprised.” Waddell hopes that his climb will challenge people to think differently and see the world differently. “I hope my climb will make us see some of the 50+ million disabled people in the world in a whole new way,” says Waddell.
Websites & Blogs:
www.waddellclimbskili.com
www.one-revolution.com
www.chriswaddell.wordpress.com
@Stephanie Graham 2009
