Bonner Paddock

(MariaShriver.com ())

"You can do it!..." "It's your moment!" yelled Bonner Paddock's friends as he approached the summit of the 19,340 foot tall Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. It had been a wave of emotions and unbelievable amounts of pain to get to this point. As people cheered him on, Paddock finally made it to the end of his long, grueling journey (Paddock, pg. 122).  A towering, ominous mountain was no match for a man with an unconquerable spirit. Though climbing Mount Kilimanjaro may seem to be a lifelong goal, this is just one of the many major accomplishments that Bonner Paddock has achieved during his lifetime despite having a disability. In fact, Paddock has had cerebral palsy, a disability affecting lower body coordination, ever since he was starved of oxygen during his first few seconds in the world. Throughout his childhood, he and his family knew that something was wrong, but his family was never up front about it. Though he went to see many doctors, none of them diagnosed him with the correct condition until he was eleven years old, when a doctor finally recognized his true disability. Paddock did not like the idea of having a disadvantage over everyone else and decided to keep it secret. However, years later, Paddock felt that he had to tell people about his CP in order to get help, so he decided to join the United Cerebral Palsy foundation of Orange County (UCP-OC). In his memoir, Paddock clarifies, "...It sounded worthwhile and well-meaning, and given my disability, UCP-OC seemed like the right place to give back" (Paddock, pg. 7). There, he told others his story about living with cerebral palsy from beginning to end, which allowed him to loosen up a lot more. He realized that no disability could stop him from doing the things he loved, which paved the way for a rich, experience-filled life. In order to be a true hero, a person must possess great positivity in order to continue pushing through even the darkest and gloomiest of situations, picking themselves up after every failure. They must also have strong willpower in order to set high goals and make the most out of life. Because of his determination to push past not only a disability but many other issues, as well as a positive and overall optimistic outlook on life, Bonner Paddock is a truly inspirational hero.

Bonner Paddock, completing the Ironman Triathlon (http://www.ocregister.com/2012/10/15/smith-paddock-becomes-first-ironman-with-cerebral-palsy/)

With great determination, courage, and bravery, Paddock persevered through even the toughest of challenges and completed near-impossible feats. According to his memoir, One More Step: My Story of Living with Cerebral Palsy, Climbing Kilimanjaro, and Surviving the Hardest Race on Earth, after Paddock joined the UCP-OC, he met Steve Robert, whose son Jake also had CP.  He found out that Robert, out of sympathy and compassion for his son, had completed a half marathon for him. Upon hearing this, Paddock knew he had to finish the job: "Later, when Steve and I had a quiet moment together, I promised him that I would run the marathon the next year, every single long mile of it, for his son" (Paddock, pg. 32). Robert strove to help Jake live a happy and worthwhile life despite his more severe cerebral palsy and wanted to do everything he could to support him. After Jake passed away abruptly overnight due to his condition, Paddock knew he had to do something to make sure Jake did not die in vain, and promised to fully complete the running-focused marathon despite having cerebral palsy. Paddock showed not only great bravery and willpower in attempting this challenge, but also a very loving heart towards Robert's family. Paddock's superb determination is also shown in the article, "Meet the World's First Ironman With Cerebral Palsy", in which Maximillian Wollner describes Paddock's feelings about attempting the Ironman Triathlon: "He decided to rest during the final eight weeks before the run, believing that if his legs couldn't carry him 26.2 miles, his determination would" (Wollner). Before climbing Kilimanjaro, Paddock competed in a full marathon. In attempting the much harder triathlon, he knew that, with a disabled lower body, the pain would be like nothing he had ever experienced. Nevertheless, he was fully determined to complete the run, especially in order to avenge Jake's death, and fought on until the bitter end despite enormous amounts of pain. Paddock's unmatched determination led him to achieving some of the most difficult challenges known to man, showing that even those with disabilities can accomplish great things with a goal in mind.

Paddock at Uhuru Peak, summit of Mount Kilimanjaro (http://1man1mission.org/meet-worlds-first-ironman-cerebral-palsy/)

There were many things along the way that tried to discourage Paddock from accomplishing his dream, but no matter what happened, he pushed on with a positive, optimistic attitude and did the impossible. According to the article,  "Meet the World's First Ironman With Cerebral Palsy" by Maximillian Wollner, Paddock became extremely fatigued and felt immense pain during his climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. As a result, he began to question his ability: "He began to doubt he could finish. Maybe the people in his past who had questioned his ability to be successful were right? But he used these negative memories to power up the mountain one step at a time" (Wollner). Paddock had many memories from the past of people telling him that to climb Mount Kilimanjaro was an impossible feat for someone with CP. However, instead of giving in to these memories, he embraced them. He wanted to prove to people that even those with disabilities can accomplish amazing things. Paddock also demonstrated strong optimistic views during the Ironman Triathlon. According to his memoir, though Paddock felt tremendous amounts of pain throughout the run, he knew that he had to keep going: "I quicken my pace slightly, but enough to bring the pain roaring back. So be it. Use the pain. Ignore the rest. Step after step" (Paddock, pg. 3). During his attempt at completing the triathlon, Paddock felt immense pain throughout his entire body as a result of his cerebral palsy. However, even though his body was screaming at him to stop, he kept going no matter how much pain he felt. He never gave up and used the pain to motivate him rather than hinder him, showing a level of optimism, determination, willpower, and perseverance that only a hero could achieve. Paddock's positive attitude allowed him to jump over even the tallest of hurdles throughout his life. He showed that as long as one never gives up on the path to their dream, they can accomplish anything.

Paddock's remarkable determination and optimism through even the world's most grueling challenges makes him a truly inspirational hero. Even with cerebral palsy, Paddock managed to achieve what many others only dream of. Though the pain he felt was unimaginable, he knew that it would all be worth it in the end when he finally reached the goal he had worked so hard for. Not only this, but during his long journey, he also "established the OM Foundation (OMF) to help raise money for children with disabilities" ("Bonner Paddock"). This organization teaches disabled children that they don't have to give up on life just because they have a disability. It shows them that with strong willpower, they can accomplish anything they put their mind to. Through these actions, Paddock has shown himself to be an excellent role model for generations to come. No matter how much me may defy them, we all have our own individual shortcomings and weaknesses. Many of us worry over these faults and how they may hurt our chances in life as a whole. However, in the end, it is all in our heads. If everybody was like Bonner Paddock and never worried about what others did better than them, but rather focused on what they do best, there would be many more heroes alive today. The truth is, no disadvantage can ever stop one from accomplishing something they truly believe in. Paddock shows us that no matter our imperfections, we all have the ability to do something amazing and make a difference in the world.

Works Cited

"Bonner Paddock." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2016. Biography in Context,  

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000316036/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=a1fedb17. Accessed 4 May 2017.

Paddock, Bonner. One More Step: My Story of Living with Cerebral Palsy, Climbing Kilimanjaro, and Surviving the Hardest

   Race on Earth. New York, Harperbusiness, 2016.

Wollner, Maximillian. "Meet the World's First Ironman With Cerebral Palsy."EverydayHealth.com, Everyday

Health, 13 Mar. 2015, www.everydayhealth.com/news/meet-worlds-first-ironman-with-cerebral-palsy/.

  Accessed 4 May 2017.