Sometimes, I find myself at a loss for words upon receiving the praise of others. As a Christian, I resist the lure of conceit about things that I do. But can an individual be too humble, not accepting another person’s compliments, or is that, in itself, a form of pride? I try to do the … Continue reading Appreciation?
Tag: gymnastics
While I have not followed the Olympics closely this year, Simone Biles pulling out of competition has been hard to miss. I have read articles praising her courage and critiques denouncing her as a quitter who let down her team and the United States as a whole. Thirty years ago, I was a gymnast with … Continue reading Courageous, Simone!
Thirty years ago today, I walked into the gym for gymnastics practice but left on a stretcher, never to walk again in this lifetime. An accident shortly after my arrival at practice left me paralyzed from the chest down, a C5 quadriplegic. I just spent a fun evening celebrating with my family the life that … Continue reading Thank God
Hi all! The price of my ebook, Eternity in View, has been dropped to $3.99. If you have never read my story, there is no better time than now. It is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and i-Tunes. I was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I began gymnastics at age ten, and … Continue reading Eternity in View – Ebook Sale
Last Sunday we sang the song "Christ is Enough", by Hillsong, in our worship service. All week I have had the lyrics of this fabulous song running through my head. When I had my accident in 1990, Jesus Christ was already an important part of my life. With this foundation I was able to let … Continue reading Is Christ Is enough for me?
Previous Chapter ∗ Gymnastics Videos When we returned home from the beach, I was anxious to get back into the gym. I was now a class I and would have new routines to learn for the upcoming year. The last week in July, our team attended a gymnastics camp in Allentown, Pennsylvania. These trips were always refreshing … Continue reading Eternity in View – Chapter 4 – The Accident
These are my gymnastics routines from the 1990 Regional and National Championships. Many thanks to Ben Pressel, who consistently video-taped all of our competitions during the 1990 season and provided me with the videos. My best events were always High bar and floor exercise and my worst Pommel horse and rings. 1990 Region 7 Gymnastics … Continue reading Gymnastics videos-Regional and National Championships
Previous Chapter ∗ Gymnastics Videos ∗ Next Chapter In the fall of 1989, I began my sixth year of competitive gymnastics. After qualifying for nationals the previous year, I was excited to try to better my performance over the new season. Some of my teammates were in my same grade in school, but the date of my … Continue reading Eternity in View – Chapter 3 – Triumph and Trouble
Previous Chapter ∗ Next Chapter Many of the experiences I had during the next five years were unrelated, but all my memories during that time began to prepare me for bigger things to come. Although I was unaware of it happening, a support network was developing around me, which would be vital during the following … Continue reading Eternity in View – Chapter 2 – Gymnastics, Education, Family, and Fun
Next Chapter I was born in Lancaster County and lived with my mother and father until age two. Shortly after my brother was born, my parents divorced. For a short time after my grandmother died, my mother, with my brother and me, moved in with my grandfather. He soon remarried, and we found another place … Continue reading Eternity in View – Chapter 1 – Developing Interest in Gymnastics
