Apr 19, 2022
Chris was a ski racer at Middlebury College when he fell in a ski accident, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Chris was back skiing within a year, and went on to become one of the most decorated mono-skiers of all time. When Chris retired as a professional athlete, he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro on a hand cycle, in an effort to turn perception of disability upside down. He is the first paraplegic to summit Mt Kilimanjaro, nearly unassisted, on a hand cycle. Chris’ journey lives on through the documentary 1Revolution.
Chris’ genuine, personal and considerate delivery aims to connect and instruct, something he sought even as a competitor. As he became the fastest monoskier in the world, he and his female counterpart started a monoski instructional camp to help others unlock their potential without enduring the pain and frustration that they had. Members of those camps went on to win National, World Championship and Paralympic medals.
When he attempted to become the first unassisted paraplegic to summit Mt Kilimanjaro, he stood on the shoulders of his heroes to turn the impossible into reality and give others the courage to confront their fears to live and perform most fully. The climb wasn’t without incident. His team had to carry him up a boulder field, but that “failure” allowed him to separate from the obligation to be a superhero—to be honest, vulnerable and to find his real power. In 2015, he published his first book Things I Want to Remember Not to Forget, inspired by his Middlebury College Commencement Address. The following year, he taught himself to draw and wrote and illustrated his first children’s book, Is It Lonely to be a Four-Leaf Clover? He has appeared on Dateline, Oprah, and 20/20 as well as providing color commentary for the Paralympics on NBC and being one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.”
Chris just did a second run of his "Things I Want to Remember Not to Forget" book and just last month, he returned to NBC's coverage of the Paralympics, handling Opening, Closing and Skiing analysis as well as some host responsibilities.
A popular keynote speaker, Chris helps audiences become champions of their businesses, their worlds and themselves. He has spoken to nearly every industry and kind of audience—from Fortune 500 Companies to non-profits, from sales groups to venture capitalists and engineers. He inspires audiences to consider how seemingly ordinary people can achieve the impossible.
CONNECT WITH CHRIS
Web: https://one-revolution.org/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/onerevolution/
Instagram: @onerevolutionfoundation
Twitter: @One_Revolution