Cross-country skier Janine Shepherd was a strong contender for Winter Olympics in 1986. But then destiny had other plans and calamity struck her hopes when she was hit by a truck on a training bike ride in New South Wales.
She broker her neck and back and as per the doctors, the chances of survival were minimum. Even when she survived, the doctor told her " Janine, the operation was a success … but the damage is permanent. They’re central nervous system nerves. There is no cure. You’re what we call a partial paraplegic and you will have all the injuries that go along with that. You’ll have no feeling from the waist down. At most, you might get 10 to 20% return."
Imagine what should have been her normal reaction: "God why did you do this to me, what will I do now or there is no point in living now? Right .....No, We are absolutely wrong.
What did she do, she focused on what she had and created new dreams. She became a pilot and took her first flying lesson in a full body cast. In a year's time, she had a license to fly and went on to become the youngest and only female director of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
Watch her speak on how she overcame all the odds and successfully recovered from her traumatic injuries.
In her own words: "The key for her was realizing that she was more than just the circumstances of her body, and that she could create new dreams. A broken body is not a broken person."
So before you quit today, remember that it's all in our mind. If Janine can do it, why can't you?
Your comments are welcome and you can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com