Access Press, Volume 15, Issue 6, June 10 2004: Article

Go Forward!

FULL STORY

Spokesperson and U.S. Paralympic Gold Medalist Chris Waddell to Visit Rehab Hospitals on National Tour En Route to 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece

DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC, distributor of the Freightliner Sprinter - the official vehicle sponsor of the 2004 U.S. Paralympic Team - has launched "Go Forward," a national community outreach initiative bringing U.S. Paralympic athlete Chris Waddell to multiple communities and rehabilitation hospitals throughout the nation. With secondary messages "inspire, achieve, live," Go Forward presents an encouraging and inspired message of hope, forward thinking and improved mobility to a national audience as Waddell, who will serve as the official spokesperson, shares his personal experiences.
Touring seven cities during the next five months, Waddell will speak to patients at rehabilitation hospitals and make appearances at multiple Paralympic events leading up to the 2004 Paralympic Summer Games in Athens, Greece. A division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Paralympics Games is the world's largest sporting event for amateur athletes with disabilities and are held immediately following the Olympics.
Waddell, who broke his back in a skiing accident at age 20, remains an athlete and key advocate of the Paralympic games. He competes in both the winter and summer games in skiing and track and field events respectively, and has won multiple gold and silver medals.
While particularly poignant for individuals who face physical challenges, Waddell's inspiring messages are both encouraging and relevant to everyone as we go through our daily lives and focuses on four specific areas:
Get Going - Go Forward - Go For It - Keep Going!
CHRIS WADDELL'S REFLECTIONS ON "Go Forward"
Despite the injury that broke his back and paralyzed both legs, Chris Waddell has climbed back up the mountain as a Paralympic athlete through sheer determination and drive. While he defines the injury as a life-changing event, he has shown courage, resiliency and the ability to persist despite adversity. In cooperation with DaimlerChrysler Vans and the Freightliner Sprinter van line, Waddell offers the following observations and key message points for "Go Forward."
Get Going
"Overcoming the existing situation and getting started is the first key - whether that's rehabilitation, sports training, personal or business goals.
"Find something you love. Whether it's your profession, your children, your image of yourself or your desire to change the world. Find a reason that pushes you forward.
Go Forward
"After a traumatic injury you wonder 'will it ever be the same?' By looking and moving forward, you gain a new perspective and realize that there are new opportunities including some that you never thought possible. Personally I know that I probably wouldn't still be an athlete had I not had the accident.
Go For It
"People in rehabilitation face a new and daunting challenge. The most difficult and most important step is the first one. Take that first step.
Keep Going!
"With that first step you begin to see improvement and find yourself wondering what else is possible. Before you know it, you've created momentum and tapped into your incredible ability to adapt and most importantly, Go Forward.

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