No Barriers

At 14, Reggie had a tragic electrical accident that left him a double amputee. But, his “never-say-die” attitude has propelled him to also become an accomplished pilot, inspirational speaker, certified snowboard instructor, and marathoner. In 2017, he was part of ROMP, the Range Of Motion Project’s elite team of amputee & able-bodied climbers that climbed Cayambe, an 18000’ stratovolcano in Ecuador as part of a fundraising effort that benefitted amputees in third world countries. Reggie continues to inspire folks around the world with his speaking career, athletic accomplishments, and mentorship programs. Special thanks to the Winnebago Industries Foundation for their support of this podcast and their advocacy for accessibility in outdoor spaces.Resources:Check out Reggie’s website: https://lifewithreggie.com/Follow Reggie on Facebook and InstagramIntroducing Reggie Showers on National Geographic’s Mygrations

Kyle Coon lost his sight at the age of six after a battle with Retinoblastoma—cancer of the eye. However, not having sight has not stopped him from pursuing his vision. Since then he has become a competitive rock climber, downhill skier, runner, and triathlete.After summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro at the age of 15, Kyle knew he needed to live a life filled with adventure. After getting his college degree and trying the working world for a bit, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming an endurance athlete, competing in numerous marathons and triathlons.In 2018, he was a member of the first team of tandem cyclists with all blind or visually impaired stokers to complete Race Across America—the world’s toughest bicycle race—racing from Oceanside, Calif to Annapolis, Md in seven days 15 hours. Later in 2018, at Ironman Arizona, Kyle became the first totally blind person to complete an Ironman branded Triathlon (2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike, 26.2 mi run) in under 11 hours. He continues to push himself physically and mental

Mountaineers and others scoffed at the notion that Erik Weihenmayer, blind since 14, could climb Mt. Everest. They thought he would be a danger to himself and his team. But, on that day in 2001 Erik and his team, through preparation, personal sacrifice, and the belief that they would succeed, stood together on the top of the world. To celebrate this milestone Erik and members of their record-holding team reunited virtually and shared fond memories and recounted their struggles. Most importantly, they reflected on the advice their team leader, PV Scaturro, gave them on their descent: “Don’t make Everest the greatest thing you ever do.”Resources:Watch Michael Brown’s documentary film, Farther Than the Eye Can See on AmazonOutside MagazineLuis BenitezPV ScaturroBrad Bull (and his father, Sherman Bull)Kami Tenzing SherpaKevin Cherilla & K2 Adventure TravelJeff Evans

Parker (she/her) aka KWEEN WERK is an outspoken social media diva who focuses on environmental justice and social justice matters. Parker tackles these complex, interconnected issues by addressing them through head-on activism and education. She is the founder of a DEI Consulting Firm called Ecoinclusive, the creator of KWEEN WERK, and the co-founder of Inclusive Journeys. As a leader at the intersection of culture and justice, Parker believes in using social media as a tool for social change. As a woman, as a Black person, as a curvy hiker, as a mother, as a Black business owner, she stands at the intersection of multiple identities. Her work shines a light on racism, ageism, sexism, heterosexism, and ableism; and aims to also give people tools for change.KWEEN Werk is dedicated to disrupting the narrative that only white able-bodied people care about the environment and participate in outdoor recreation activities. KWEEN stands for Keep Widening Environmental Engagement Narratives. Special thanks to the Win

As an 18-year-old freshman at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Chris Norton suffered a devastating spinal cord injury during a college football game. Told by doctors that he had only a 3 percent chance of regaining movement below the neck, Chris has continually defied medical odds and, in 2015, successfully accomplished his goal of walking across his college graduation stage with the help of his then-fiancee, Emily. Video from the event went viral, inspiring millions worldwide. Most recently, he walked Emily 7 yards down the aisle of their wedding - documented in his film “7 Yards” now available on Netflix.Chris believes that our lives aren’t shaped by circumstance. They’re shaped by us. Perseverance isn’t about the physical act of standing: it’s about attitude, and the ability to shape yourself in the face of adversity.Resources:Read more about Chris and book him for your next speaking gigWatch 7 Yards on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or AppleTVFollow Chris on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Lisa Lewis began her career with Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. She earned a master’s degree in Clown/Circus History from NYU. During the same period, she co-founded the Super Scientific Circus, a STEAM-based series of 6 shows which tour the country using Circus Skills to make science fun and accessible for all learning styles. Lisa received her certification from Marquis Studios as a teaching artist for District 75 specializing in Autism and at-risk youth in NYC where she taught for four years. Lisa performed with the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit and inspired by the efforts to serve new audiences, she became project coordinator for Circus of the Senses, a performance adapted for blind, visually impaired, Deaf, hard of hearing, and those who are neuro-diverse. Lisa doubled the reach of the program and seeing a need in the community, she created the Embracing Autism performances. Lisa expanded both offerings and audiences, created an inclusive training program for staff, and supported organi

Dr. Doug Jackson serves as the President and CEO of Project CURE. Since 1987, Project C.U.R.E. has delivered equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics in over 135 countries and was named by Forbes as one of the top 20 charities in America. In addition to delivering approximately five semi-truck-sized containers of medical relief each week, teams of medical professionals travel abroad to provide hundreds of hours of hands-on medical care and training through the C.U.R.E. Clinics program. Doug is a frequent motivational speaker to civic, corporate, and community organizations.Resources:https://projectcure.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCURETwitter: https://twitter.com/projectcure

Kristan Seaford was a 38-year-old stay-at-home mom with five young children when a catastrophic illness struck. What began as the flu and strep throat turned into pneumonia and a life-threatening condition called septic shock. After 100 days, a medically-induced coma, six hospitals, and a miracle, she survived. She lives as a triple amputee, with her remaining foot missing the toes and heel. Today, Kristan is as busy as ever working as a motivational and faith-building speaker, a personal counselor, blogger, and writer.Resources:http://www.kristanseaford.com/Watch Kristan’s journey here: No Barriers Summit Story

Anthony Ferraro was born blind. Today Anthony is 25 years old and refers to himself as a professional athlete, musician, and motivational speaker. Flashing back to his High School career, Anthony was the only blind wrestler on his team. With the goal of winning a New Jersey state championship his senior year, his older brother Oliver followed him around and collected hundreds of hours of live footage. His film, “A Shot in the Dark” is now available on Amazon Prime. When the United States Paralympic committee came across a viral trailer of the film they asked him if he would train in Judo to represent his country at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. COVID derailed Anthony’s training temporarily and he pivoted to music as his main outlet. Taking his musical talents on the road, Anthony branded a live stream music tour he called, "Anthony Ferraro's Blind Busking Live Stream Music Tour 2020.” Along with his fiance, they traveled through 23 states and over 9,800 miles of American highways and backroads. Anthony

As President of The Prouty Project, Peter Bailey develops creative experience-based leadership development programs for companies and people to expand their life skills, belief systems, and communication processes. In his free time he roasts his own coffee beans, writes, sails, surfs, rock climbs, and enjoys time with his wife, kids, and two cats. Resources:Peter’s TEDx talk: “Developing The Heroic Journey Mindset”To learn more visit: www.proutyproject.com

Gerry Leary is the founder of the coffee shop, Unseen Bean in Boulder, CO. Gerry has been blind since he was born but his lack of vision does not stop him from roasting coffee. You don’t need sight to roast coffee, you need a heart, and Gerry has a huge one. Before coffee, Gerry was an auto mechanic for 40+ years. He loved working with his dad in their garage growing up and was told he couldn’t work on cars as a blind person - which only made him determined to do so. Gerry Leary's passion for coffee began in 1994 when visiting a San Francisco cafe. He heard what sounded like a rock tumbler and discovered it was a coffee roaster. He realized then that coffee didn’t have to be flat and bitter, as coffee roasting was a true art form. Gerry's visual impairment kept him from finding an apprenticeship in the coffee business. So he attended the San Francisco Coffee Training Institute and began a journey into the land of gourmet coffee roasting.Resources:Visit Gerry’s website to purchase coffee: https://www.theunseen

In 2017, Hadeel Ayoub founded BrightSign, a wearable technology start-up. BrightSign develops technology pieces that employ AI to facilitate communication for individuals who need it, such as people with hearing or speech disabilities or children with non-verbal autism.  Hadeel’s BrightSign Glove innovation has gained international recognition and has won global awards in Innovation and Artificial Intelligence. A special thanks to Arrow Electronics for sponsoring this episode as part of their series highlighting people pioneering inclusive technology. Resources:Twitter: @hadeelayoubSite: brightsignglove.comFrom Sign to Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qDUK1xOY8o

Nicole Kelly proudly identifies as a person living with a disability and spends much of her time advocating for it! Nicole stepped into the role of a public figure in 2013 when she won the title of Miss Iowa, making her one of very few to compete at Miss America with a physical disability.  Nicole is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast, Disarming Disability, which aims to break down the stigma surrounding disability by engaging disability experts in conversation. Nicole has proudly spoken at schools, universities, and corporations across the country about disability equity and inclusion.This episode is sponsored by Wells Fargo, CoBank, Prudential, Arrow Electronics, and Winnebago Industries Foundation.Resources:www.missnicolegkelly.comFollow Nicole on Facebook, Instagram  & TwitterSubscribe & watch Nicole's videos on Youtube 

Subhasis has spent about 20 years developing cutting-edge technology, 5 years of practicing therapy, and 10 years in clinical research with varying degrees of success and failure. His diverse background led him to invent and commercialize the world’s first fully wearable, connected brain plasticity training tool that trains brain and body in one system. SynPhNe is the outcome of his Ph.D. (Biomechatronics) study which he completed after recovering from a brain injury himself. He is passionate about neuroplasticity, movement analysis, learning mechanisms, and aging. He has been a yoga and martial arts practitioner for the past 40 years and is currently living in Singapore. He makes friends easily with those who love food, traveling, and adventure.This episode was made possible by the support of Arrow Electronics. Resources:Visit SynPhNe’s Website:  www.synphne.comAdditional reading: The Brain that Changes Itself  by Norman Doidge 

Ann Curry is an award-winning journalist and photojournalist. She is a former NBC News Network anchor and international correspondent and has reported on conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Darfur, Congo, the Central African Republic, Serbia, Lebanon, and Israel; on nuclear tensions from North Korea and Iran and on numerous humanitarian disasters, including the tsunamis in Southeast Asia and Japan, and the massive 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Her awards for journalism include 7 Emmys. She has also been given numerous humanitarian awards, including from Refugees International, Americares, and Save the Children.  One award she especially prizes is a Medal of Valor from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, for her dedication to reporting about genocide.She has also reported and executive produced a documentary series about people caught in transformative world events entitled “We’ll Meet Again,” anchored and executive produced a live series about medical care in America entitled “Chasing the Cure,” and is a con

Michael Brown has excelled as both an adventure athlete and as a filmmaker. He has been to the summit of Mount Everest five times, each time with cameras rolling. His work as a director and cinematographer spans all seven continents and has won many film festivals and industry awards, including three national Emmy Awards. Michael is also a recipient of the International Alliance For Mountain Film's 'Grand Prix' awards at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the Explorers Festival’s Camera Extreme,' and the Giant Screen Cinema Association (IMAX) 'Outstanding Cinematography' Award. Michael's lens has captured ice caves for NOVA, tornadoes for Discovery, science at the South Pole for National Geographic, avalanches for the BBC, and mountain climbing for four giant screen IMAX movies. Michael has made a habit of going to the world's harshest, most dangerous environments and always comes back with incredible footage and compelling stories. Outside Magazine describes the cerebral filmmaker as a "swashbuckling libraria

Sam Morris is the founder of Zen Warrior Training®, an enlightened leadership and embodied wisdom coaching program. In 1999, Sam endured a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the waist down. This incident catalyzed a deep dive into somatic healing arts, depth psychology, wisdom traditions, and the innate intelligence of the body. Sam trains his clients in how to master the inner workings of the mind, body, and spirit and live from an enlightened state of presence in their businesses and in their personal lives.Thank you to our No Barriers Podcast sponsors: Wells Fargo, Prudential, CoBank, Winnebago Industries Foundation, and Arrow Electronics.Resources:Zen Warrior Training WebsiteWatch Sam Morris speak at the 2020 No Barriers SummitSam’s email: Sam@zenwarriortraining.comFollow Sam on Instagram at @zenwarriortrainingBooks:The Untethered Soul by Michael SingerThe Power of Now by Eckhart TolleBreath by James NestorHow to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

Michael May was blinded by a chemical explosion at the age of three, but regained partial vision, at the age of 46, after cornea transplants and a pioneering stem cell procedure. He has raised millions of dollars to develop four companies and has changed the landscape of how blind people get around independently. Mike’s start-up ventures have included developing the world’s first and only Laser Turntable, inventing a portable heating cushion for sports and medical applications, and starting 2 companies in adaptive technology including Sendero Group in 1999, which released the first-ever accessible GPS for the blind. Currently, he is Chief Evangelist for Good Maps, Inc., a pedestrian navigation company with an emphasis on accessible navigation for people who are blind or visually impaired. Mike also holds the record for downhill skiing by a person who is completely blind -racing at 65 mph-and is the subject of the best-selling book Crashing Through by, Robert Kurson.Huge thanks to Arrow Electronics for sponsor

Having Minnesota roots, Quinn’s parents were committed to taking their children to national parks all over the country, gradually traveling further and further west. With her first look at El Capitan, Quinn knew that she’d climb it one day; ten years later, she did. Since that first climb, Quinn has amassed an impressive list of big wall ascents, speed records, and difficult free climbs, first in places like Yosemite and Zion and then in the larger mountains of Patagonia, Greenland, and India. But everything changed in 2017 when Quinn took a one-hundred-foot fall while climbing the Nose of El Cap, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Today, Quinn lives in her beloved Estes Park, Colorado where she works for the National Park Service, using her background as an environmental advocate to speak up for increased accessibility on public lands. Special thanks to the Winnebago Industries Foundation for their support of this podcast and their advocacy for accessibility in outdoor spaces. Resources:Book recommen

Victor Mifsud is a citizen scientist, biohacker, natural vision educator, psychedelic advocate, and filmmaker. He has recently completed a very personal feature-length documentary called “My Neuroplastic Adventure”. His journeys take him from the cutting edge of neuroscience to the most ancient forms of tribal healing. He has interviewed doctors and scientists who are using technology and wisdom in equal measure. He has worked with renowned National best-selling author & physician Dr. Gabor Maté; Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology of Motor Learning Director, Dr. Lara Boyd, and NY Times best-selling author Dr. Norman Doidge to name a few. He also happens to be blind.Resources:IG @blindbiohackerVictor’s Documentary:  www.myneuroplasticadventure.com Documentary trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aKKP477-MA&t=6sRead Breath by James NestorRead The Brain that Changes Itself by Dr. Norman DoidgeRead It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn Explore Dr. Gabor Maté’s workWatch the 2011 Film, The Jungle