Name
Inspirational Keynote
Date & Time
Wednesday, March 3, 2021, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Description

For many of us, 2020 offered challenges like we have never experienced. We thought we were in control of our lives to only find out adversity comes at us in the most unexpected ways. Kyle Maynard will share his story of learning to fight through adversity to achieve dreams you never thought possible and how to take control of your life’s story that is still waiting to be written.

Oprah Winfrey called Kyle “one of the most inspiring young men you will ever hear about.” Arnold Schwarzenegger described him as “the real deal,” “a champion human,” and “one of the most inspiring people” he’s ever met. Even the great Wayne Gretzky has spoken of Kyle’s “greatness.”

Despite being born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, that has left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees, he learned early on, and with the support of his family, to live life independently and without prosthetics. Kyle thrives on physical challenges and following a few rough, middle school football seasons, he went on to become a champion wrestler, CrossFit Certified Instructor and gym owner, competitive MMA/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter, world record setting weightlifter, and skilled mountaineer.

He will share with us how he became the first quadruple amputee to climb – actually bear crawl – the 19,340 feet to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics. Upon his return, Kyle won his second ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability.

Kyle has appeared as a guest on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, ABC's 20/20, and his story has been featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter, HBO's Real Sports, and CNN’s Great Big Story, as well as other countless television shows and editorials.