Doctors Told Him He'd Never Walk Normally Again, Now He's Destroyed Two World Records
When you’re young, there’s a temptation to think of yourself as invincible, especially if you’ve experienced a healthy childhood and have had no major setbacks.
This sense of power and freedom is exhilarating and can help people accomplish amazing feats, but it can also push young people to make some rather poor choices.
Colin O’Brady was outdoorsy and a sports fanatic. He competed in soccer and swimming, and he was good at those sports. Very good. Nationally ranked.
Yale recognized his talent and brought him on because of his swimming prowess. He got a degree in economics, but he was just starting his journey.
There was a whole world out there, and he wanted to see it. So he set off, unaware that tragedy was lurking around the corner.
He was in Thailand when he faced a crippling setback: He was injured in a fire jump rope incident.
If you’re a mom or anyone with a healthy sense of avoiding danger, the term “fire jump rope” should send shivers up your spine. But for some, it’s a challenge and an irresistible draw.
The rope got caught on his legs, wrapping around him and setting him on fire from his toes to his neck. His legs and feet were damaged the most, and the intensely active young man was restricted to bed rest as his skin slowly and painfully tried to recover.
Lying in a bed and doing nothing can be torturous for anyone, but for someone who was as active as O’Brady, it must have been absolutely misery. He was even told he might never walk the same again — a thought that must have terrified him.
His mother, trying to keep his spirits up — as any good mother would — challenged him to set a goal for himself, to give himself something to look forward to and work toward and keep him from obsessing over his current situation.
So he did. A triathlon, he decided: He wanted to race in a triathlon.
A year and a half later, after extensive healing and training, he raced — and he won first place. That was only the beginning for him, and he picked up sponsors and started racing around the world.
After a few years of that, he wanted more, and with the help of his wife-to-be, Jenna, he set his sights on The Explorers Grand Slam, which includes both the North and South poles and the “Seven Summits” — seven of the tallest mountains in the world (including, of course, Mt. Everest).
Summiting Mt. Everest alone would have been a lifetime accomplishment for most people, but for O’Brady it wasn’t quite enough. He wanted it all. And of course, since he was competitive, he wanted to complete it all in record time.
So he did. It took him 139 days, but he was now a record-holder twice over for completing the Grand Slam in the shortest recorded time, but also completing the Seven Summits in record time (132 days).
He’s used his experiences to give back, too, speaking at schools and mentoring kids to identify and face their challenges.
His next challenge? To cross Antarctica. By himself. If anyone can do it, though, he certainly can.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
