Hero of Hope: Eric LeGrand

Picture courtesy of Team Fight to Walk (www.TeamFightToWalk.com)

The Story:

Eric LeGrand was on track to become a football star. Ranked the 21^st best middle linebacker in the nation and 13^th best player in New Jersey, LeGrand was a highly sought after recruit and eventually settled in at Rutgers. In 2008, as a freshman, he saw action in almost every game and started racking up his tackles as well as scoring his first tackle for a loss. On October 10^th, 2010, LeGrand was playing his sixth game of the season against the West Point Black Nights. It was the fourth quarter and he went in for a routine tackle. The next thing he knew, LeGrand was flat on his back on the field and couldn’t move anything from his neck down. That injury, although ending his football career, would not dissuade him from doing what he wanted.

The Inspiration:

A month after the injury, LeGrand lasted an hour and a half off his ventilator despite the doctor’s warnings that he would only last a few minutes. By Thanksgiving, the football player was able to breathe on his own. His dedication is exemplified in his saying “it’s not even whether you keep breathing; it’s whether you keep breathing how you want to breathe.” By January 6^th of the next year, LeGrand regained movement in his shoulders and feeling throughout his body and just a year after the accident, he memorably returned to the Rutgers field in a snow storm and helped toss the coin.

LeGrand’s story is one of determination and mental strength. He returned to his studies by the spring semester of 2011 and even visited practices. When his former Rutgers coach became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he famously signed his college star on to his team so he could be a part of the NFL. LeGrand resigned in July of 2012 and decided to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. He has started speaking about his experiences and is a strong advocate of spinal cord injury research. One day, Eric LeGrand plans to walk again and in the meantime continues to “breathe how he wants to breathe.”

Learn More:

In September of 2012, LeGrand published his book titled Believe: My Faith and the Tackle that Changed my Life.

You can follow him on twitter at @EricLeGrand52, as well.

Hero of Hope: Travis Roy

The Story:

Travis Roy was just your typical boy from Yarmouth, Maine. His father was a hockey coach and his love for the sport blossomed at a young age. By the time he reached high school, he was being sought after by the most prominent college hockey programs in the country. Roy finally decided to attend Boston University as a Terrier and he was in his element. After a long season of grueling practices, Travis got his shot at starting his first collegiate game. Eleven seconds in, his promising career was stopped short as he slammed into the sideboards, cracking his fourth vertebrae and becoming paralyzed from the neck down. Travis Roy would have to start over in foreign circumstances. However, as he says in his talks, his time as a hockey player helped give him the drive and the grit to reevaluate and persevere.

The Inspiration:

One of Travis’ best quotes is that “sometimes we choose our challenges, and at other times our challenges choose us.” Travis decided that there was a reason he became a quadriplegic and he has made the best of it. After intensive physical therapy, Travis went back to school at Boston University and got his degree in four years. Right out of college he started the Travis Roy foundation and started raising money for research into the realm of spinal cord injuries. He also uses the funds to help individuals with spinal cord injuries reach their goals.

As he was adjusting to life as a quadriplegic, Travis faced more challenges than most people can imagine. He managed to make his way to an independent, fulfilling life. He says that one of his favorite things is sitting on the porch of his family’s lake house and just taking in the beauty of the landscape. As many setbacks as he’s faced, Travis maintains that “this challenge chose him” and he has accepted with enthusiasm. His critically acclaimed book, Eleven Seconds; A Story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph, is reviewed on this site and details his life surrounding the accident.

Learn More:

All you need to know about Travis Roy is on his website, including his story, his mission, event dates, and more.

Travis Roy Foundation website:

www.travisroyfoundation.org