7 replies to this topic

[nomis]

Paralysed man reaches South Pole

A US man paralysed in a 2010 snowmobiling accident has reached the South Pole, traveling about 120 kilometres in sub-zero temperatures over two weeks to complete the trip on the 100th anniversary of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott's trek there with the Terra Nova Expedition.

Nevada's Grant Korgan, 33, who is paralysed from the waist down, used a device called a sit-ski to reach the pole 100 years to the day after the British explorer completed the journey on Jan. 17, 1912.

"Although my body has been broken, my spirit never will be. I am unbreakable!'' Korgan said in a statement posted on the crew's Web site.

Korgan's expedition party included paralympian John Davis, two guides and cinematographers who are shooting for a documentary called The Push: A South Pole Adventure. The film is expected to be released later this year.

The team trained for a year with various missions in Alaska, Norway, Lake Tahoe and South America. Korgan estimated he'd have to push the Sitski approximately 250,000 times over the course of the trip.

"Grant just pulled off one of the most amazing athletic achievements in modern history and a first for adaptive athletes,'' said Steven Siig, director of the documentary film.

"This is a historic day in the name of recovery, technology, adventure and the human potential,'' he said.

The challenge was intended to help raise money for the California-based nonprofit High Fives Foundation, which helps injured winter athletes recover and get back to their sport.

It also supports the Reeve Irvine Research Center, a science research facility at University of California, Irvine devoted to the study of repair, regeneration and recovery of function after spinal cord injury.

- AP

[ClaraTaylor]

Quite awesome.

[moses gichuki]

nomis, on 18 January 2012 - 10:58 PM, said:

Paralysed man reaches South Pole

A US man paralysed in a 2010 snowmobiling accident has reached the South Pole, traveling about 120 kilometres in sub-zero temperatures over two weeks to complete the trip on the 100th anniversary of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott's trek there with the Terra Nova Expedition.

Nevada's Grant Korgan, 33, who is paralysed from the waist down, used a device called a sit-ski to reach the pole 100 years to the day after the British explorer completed the journey on Jan. 17, 1912.

"Although my body has been broken, my spirit never will be. I am unbreakable!'' Korgan said in a statement posted on the crew's Web site.

Korgan's expedition party included paralympian John Davis, two guides and cinematographers who are shooting for a documentary called The Push: A South Pole Adventure. The film is expected to be released later this year.

The team trained for a year with various missions in Alaska, Norway, Lake Tahoe and South America. Korgan estimated he'd have to push the Sitski approximately 250,000 times over the course of the trip.

"Grant just pulled off one of the most amazing athletic achievements in modern history and a first for adaptive athletes,'' said Steven Siig, director of the documentary film.

"This is a historic day in the name of recovery, technology, adventure and the human potential,'' he said.

The challenge was intended to help raise money for the California-based nonprofit High Fives Foundation, which helps injured winter athletes recover and get back to their sport.

It also supports the Reeve Irvine Research Center, a science research facility at University of California, Irvine devoted to the study of repair, regeneration and recovery of function after spinal cord injury.

- AP

that's great

[brockit79]

"Although my body has been broken, my spirit never will be. I am unbreakable!'' Korgan said in a statement posted on the crew's Web site.

What a dude! Oh how I'd love to have been with that crew!

[Ches]

Amazing & brutal... I'm shivering just reading about it.

[edlee]

As impressive as this feat might seem,,, almost any of us with sufficient arm movement would be capable of training for and accomplishing the same thing. The difference between these people and the majority of us is,,, their will. There are many things that I am fully capable of,, that i don't choose to do,, mostly because I have grown complacent,, and, perhaps, satisfied, with my life. It is people like Korgan,, and Davis,,, and the many who strive to excel, in whatever activity they choose,,, who set the example,,, that make me think " Maybe I'll go to the gym today" or " Hey Judi,, how about we fly somewhere this summer?"

Their examples are often what it takes to get us to think in terms beyond our norm. To realize that stretching our limits is possible,,, and even probable,,, if we just get past that first "step".

I admire these men,, and the many like them,,not just for their accomplishments,, but for their spirit and indomitable will,,, that,, every day,, help me to see beyond my limitations.
ed

[Shane G]

Awesome story!

Edited by Shane G, 22 January 2012 - 07:26 PM.

[Izziwhizzi]

Its an amazing feat, truely amazing, to think what the body and mind can do.

I don't know if many of you remember 20 years ago when Mark Wellman, a para, spent 13 days pulling himself up half dome in Yosemite? 6 inches at a time.

Until I just looked it up I hadn't realised he did it again 10 years later too

http://www.nolimitst...es/halfdome.htm

and hes still pretty active now

http://sanfrancisco....aled-half-dome/

I'm so old I remember this stuff