Sometimes you come across an inspirational story that sticks with you for a long time. The story of Zach Miller, a successful para snowboarder, is one of those. He has always had a need for speed, but his cerebral palsy diagnosis when he was six months old limited his ability to go as fast as he wanted to. Zach spent his childhood trying to keep up with his friends, and now they can’t keep up with him. His story is a great one for anyone with a physical disability who thinks they have to be defined by their mobility concerns.
Early Life Challenges For Zach Miller
Zach has enough energy and desire to play basketball for hours at a time with his friends. But his physical disability limited him to where he couldn’t play for any more than an hour before his muscles seized up. This was incredibly challenging for a young kid full of energy and desire to play a fast-paced sport. But when he was introduced to snowboarding, he saw an opportunity to satisfy his need for speed without having to use his leg muscles as much, and he took off with it.
Zach Miller’s Successful Snowboarding Career
By age 11, Zach won his first snowboarding competition, and ten years later he is known as being one of the greatest in the sport. He found something he enjoyed doing despite his mobility concerns and continued practicing to be one of the top snowboarders in the world. Zach won eight medals during the 2018-2019 world cup circuit, and that was a moment when he truly felt he was among the elite athletes. The unique thing about Zach is when you look at him, he doesn’t fit in with his competitors physically. His competition weighs 180-pounds or more, but he just weighs about 130-pounds due to his body’s inability to put on muscle mass. It’s his competitive nature and desire to be great that has allowed him to push through and define his life on his terms.
A Physical Disability Doesn’t Have To Define You
You don’t have to be a para snowboarder to be considered successful in life. Whether you are confined to a wheelchair or have other mobility concerns that limit you, you have the opportunity to shape what your life looks like. Take a look at Zach Miller’s story if you need any inspiration. He had plenty of chances to say he was different than everyone else and not even try to play sports with his friends. Instead, he embraced his physical disability knowing he couldn’t play basketball to the level he wanted to, and pursued other options instead. You have the same opportunity to define your life, even if snowboarding isn’t one of your interests.
One of the first steps to overcoming a physical disability is embracing it. At Next Day Access, we help people cope with their disabilities by providing mobility aids to help them get around easier. We are here to help in any way we can, so contact us at any time. Like or Share if you enjoy reading our blog.
