Paralympic Skier Chris Waddell Visits Fessenden
10/10/2014
On Thursday, October 10, decorated paralympic skier Chris Waddell visited The Fessenden School and delivered his renowned “Nametags” presentation to students and faculty in the Performing Arts Center. He inspired audience members by sharing his positive outlook on life and encouraging attendees to recognize that “it’s not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.”
During his presentation, Chris described the aftermath of his 1988 ski accident, which paralyzed him from the waist down. He revealed that his accident ignited a revelation that people are often defined by their challenges. After becoming paralyzed, he noticed that he was defined by his circumstances rather than who he was as a person. “People didn’t see me, they saw what I couldn’t do. The implication was that I was disabled—that I was on the outside looking in,” Chris remarked. He went on to explain that resilience was a powerful tool that helped him to accomplish amazing feats, and that Fessenden students have the power to define the way they are perceived.
Today, Chris is an author, a U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame athlete, an adventurer, a television personality, a motivational speaker, and was the first unassisted paraplegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. He is dedicated to sharing his personal experience to awaken people to the challenging assumptions and limitations that result from the labels we give to ourselves and others.
The Nametags presentation was part of Fessenden’s Character Education program. Chris spoke to students in each division and, in age-appropriate ways, shared a powerful message. “If you spend all of your school time following the group and making sure that you have a friend, you run the risk of finishing school and having no idea who you are—no idea what matters to you or what you are passionate about,” Chris remarked. Throughout the rest of the day, students reflected on the presentation with peers and faculty.
Learn more about Chris Waddell and his foundation One Revolution, which aims to change the way the world sees people with disabilities by demonstrating the common experience of challenge. You can watch Chris's interactive presentation at Fessenden here. | | |