Instead of saving my challenge to the 3rd Act community to the end of my commentary, I thought I would hit you with it right up front. We have been invited to participate in an international charity event that will help your body and mind and celebrate effort and camaraderie while raising much-needed funds for a worthwhile cause.
After you listen to my podcast with my friend Steven Dowd, I know you will feel the nudge to get involved and find a way to pull together as a team to participate in Steven’s February 5, 2022, EnduRow Challenge. You will understand more about the event and why it is important for us to join this global event as you listen to the podcast.
You will hear shortly, a wonderful story of recovery and celebration from a serious cycling accident that changed Steven Dowd’s life forever. As I prepped you last week, Steven was on his way to work preparing for a 100-mile charity cycling event when he hit a road barrier that threw him on his head and back, instantly paralyzing him. You will hear an amazing journey that starts with a dark and bleak initial diagnosis but leads to a research trial and personal pledge to his wife that he would walk and be back to a normal life in 200 days.
The road to recovery has many highs and lows but is quite instructive to anyone facing their own life challenge. A year or so after his recovery Steven decided that his story could have meaning to anyone facing a severe life challenge. So he started laying the foundation for a career in motivational speaking, gaining significant corporate sponsorship, including Nike, that will likely keep him busy for many years to come.
Listen to the podcast for details about his life challenge model and toolkit for recovery that anyone can use when facing their biggest challenges and win!
The C.H.A.L.L.E.N.G.E. model provides nine practical tools including:
CHOOSE to respond effectively HELP others help you ACCEPT the situation objectively LEVERAGE all your resources
LEARN through trial and error
ENGAGE in your reality NEVER quit GROW through goal setting EASE UP on yourself
Listen as Steven describes how setting a North Star goal, like walking within 200 days, and combining it with daily accomplishments for regaining a meaningful life and overcoming your biggest obstacles, can be achieved with grit and determination and a lot of help from family and a caring community of supporters.
After you listen to the podcast, circle back and take a look at this year’s recipient of the EnduRow Challenge 2022; Para Rowing Foundation. The Mission of PRF is to facilitate a path to competition for athletes with disabilities from any nation with a vision to grow an engaged, connected, and pride-filled para rowing community by creating a larger pool of highly trained and skilled para rowers. Please check out more information about PRF at pararowingfoundation.org
Importantly, anyone that would like to get involved in the ENDUROW 2022 Challenge can volunteer and check out all the needed roles that require assistance. Check out CREW@ENDUROWCHALLENGE.COM
Steven is a disabled motivational speaker, based in London.