The person that has inspired me the most, who I just adore, is my good friend, and my husband’s cousin, George Taborsky.
You see, George was very active, was a lifeguard, and played many sports, before he was injured. Life slapped him in the face and he was badly injured in a pool accident in his early 20’s, ~25 years ago. As a result he broke his neck and is a quadriplegic. He does not have any control in his legs and he has limited use of the muscles in his arms. Well since his accident, you pretty much name the sport, and George has done it. He plays rugby, bikes, skydives, runs (racing wheelchair), water skis, and body boards, to name a few! He also educates other paralyzed individuals on various sports. He is such a positive and upbeat person and so much fun to hang out with. I consider myself very fortunate to call him cuz!
While training for half and full marathons there have been so many long runs where I just think of him and how he doesn’t let daily struggles stop him. He finds a way around his obstacles. I would think to myself that George would probably give anything to do exactly what I am doing….to just run. Quitting on a long run because everything hurts is not an option. Quitting on a long run because my mind is begging me to stop is not an option.
To quote Kevin R McGrady “Run because you Can”.
Because of cuz I’m so grateful for all I can do.
