Wheelchair Rugby

9 Reasons Why Nick Springer on the Move Belongs on Your Bookshelf

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Caitlin proudly holding up the first copy of Nick Springer on the Move

#1 It is an exciting sports story about two-time Paralympian, Nick Springer.

#2 It highlights the hard hitting sport of wheelchair rugby.

#3 The illustrations are bold and colorful and created by mouth painter, Chris Kuster.

#4 The language is rich and packed with vivid images.

#5 Many teaching and reading resources have been developed for it.

#6 It challenges readers to think differently about what is possible.

#7 It will have you cheering for Nick Springer and Team USA.

#8 It will inspire you to persevere against all odds.

#9 Nick Springer on the Move will change you forever.

Be strong and push hard!

If you are looking to purchase Nick Springer on the Move for a reader you know or to donate to a local library, you can visit Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. If you are looking for more about the book, check out these posts…

Kanya Sesser: Adaptive Skier, Surfer, Skateboarder and So Much More

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Introducing Kanya Sesser…Track and Field Athlete. Skier. Surfer. Skateboarder. Avid adaptive action sports athlete. She does it all!

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“I Just Do It”  Photo Credit: Scott James Photography

Hometown: Tualatin, Oregon

What sport or sports do you play? I do mono-skiing, track and field, skateboarding, wheelchair tennis, rugby, surfing, sled hockey, and wheelchair basketball. I do lots of sports. I like the ones that are more fast and driven.

Kanya Sesser Skate

Professional Skateboarder Photo Credit: Purpose2Play.com

Professional Surfer Photo Credit: Billabong

Professional Surfer Photo Credit: Billabong

What superpowers do you possess? Superpowers? Can you explain that. Sure, I believe people with exceptionalities develop complimentary superpowers like Nick said that he can come out of any situation with a smile. My son has an amazing memory. Okay, now I get it. I have a positive energy. I have a very good difference. I just give good energy in the room. I’m not hippy or anything like that, but my aura is very bright and calming. For example, whenever I lose in a game or competition I never get mad, I just keep trying. I have really positive vibes.

Track Star Photo Credit: ASMP.org

Track Star Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kanya Sesser

What accomplishments in sports are you most proud of? Track. Most of my accomplishments are in track including the London 2012 Paralympics Games. I like speed. So, I do the 100, 200, and 400. But I also do the 800, 3K and 5K. In 2011 (at the age of 18), I was nominated for the third fastest women’s wheelchair racer. In high school and college I was very happy with track and all of my accomplishments. However, when I was training for the 2012 Games, it became more of a job than what I loved. I am training in track for Rio 2016, but I am really passionate about adaptive action sports. I want to experience life and connect with nature through sports.

What books inspire you? It’s funny the one book I really remember reading is Bethany Hamilton’s book in elementary school for a book report. I loved her and looked up to her. It inspired me. I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, I want to be like her.”  I admired how she adapted and was a survivor. And now, here I am surfing with no legs. I mean… I haven’t gotten bitten by a shark yet, so let’s hope I don’t.

What songs are on your workout playlist? I like Pop Off by Kevin Hart. Kevin Hart is one of my favorite people because he is funny and real. I mostly like listening to rap or something that keeps me going. I don’t really like techno. I like rap or hip-hop that is like “Yeah, I got this.” I like things with good sound and less lyrics. When I do yoga I listen to good streaming sounds like the ocean to keep my mind calm.

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“I Got This” Photo Credit: Scott James Photography

What’s your mantra that keeps you going during tough workouts or bad days? I’ve got this…I think of myself and imagine myself reaching the goal. I picture myself and think positive. For example, I have a photo shoot next week and I think about how I have to look good for myself. You want to eat right and be healthy. You need to take care of yourself and have a positive life style.

How would you define ability? Wait, let me look that up (she looks it up on her computer and reads the definition aloud… “ to do something.”)  Interesting… I think you can have different definitions of doing something. I just do it. No matter what it is, I don’t really care and I just go for it. Like if there is a big swell, I look at it and think, “I got this.”

What is your sports story? No legs no limits..I am doing all these sports and I am living my life freely with no legs.

Training in the Pool Photo Credit: Kanya Sesser

Training in the Pool Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kanya Sesser

What is your training schedule? My training schedule is usually six in the morning until noon. First, I do track for two hours. Then, I rest for an hour. Next, I either swim or do a low key gym work out depending on how intense I was in my track training. I do yoga when the sun sets, ideally on the beach. It is more calming when the sun is setting. Finally, I meditate or go for a walk and have a smoothie or eat a salad. I don’t know… I am very calm and like to just chill.

What advice do you have for other athletes? If you push yourself through the hard work, the effort, the time and have patience, you will get to your goals. Also, if I ever get badly hurt or injured doing a sport or in a competition, then I know I gave it whatever it takes to get to that next level. 

Who would you like to thank? I would like to thank my mom. Without her, I wouldn’t get this far. To be honest, my mom was the person who looked up all of these different sports. In fact, that woman is lucky because she did travel with me all over the world in high school because of my sports. However, she did do all of my fundraising. If I ever get an ESPY, she is the number one person I will thank. And then, my coaches.

Beauty Defined by Kanya Photo Credit:

Beauty Defined by Kanya Photo Credit: Craig Solomon

Do you have any other additional comments? The thing I have been thinking about during this interview and that I want to change is how beauty and body image are defined. Being beautiful needs to be defined in your own way. I want people to understand love, relationships and beauty for people with disabilities.

This final thought sparked a longer conversation. In fact, throughout the interview there were many side conversations from prosthetics, to not buying shoes, to how girls develop their understanding of body image. This interview even led to further conversations about writing a book to fully tell Kanya’s story. It is remarkable story of strength, beauty and ability. Give us some time and we will reveal all of it to you. Until it is on the bookshelf, you can check out these interviews and articles.

Billabong Sponsored Trip to California

News Coverage about Photo Shoot

Featured

Nick Springer: Two-Time Wheelchair Rugby Paralympian

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This post is the first in a series that will focus on athletes who redefine ability in sports. The first profile is on the athlete who has had the biggest impact on my life and who has greatly influenced what my children believe is possible.

Nicks Profile Pic

Name: Nick Springer  

Hometown: Croton-on-Hudson, NY; but currently lives in Phoenix, AZ.

What sport or sports do you play? I play wheelchair rugby. I also scuba dive. I will do just about anything and everything that I get the opportunity to do.

What superpowers do you possess? I have the ability to look at any situation and come out of it with a smile.

What accomplishments in sports are you most proud of? Definitely, winning the gold beijing flowersmedal in 2008 Paralympics. But, I am even more proud of helping the people who are newly injured and getting them back on their feet by building up their confidence. It is better than winning any championship.

What books inspire you? I mostly like fiction where the characters overcome great obstacles. I am drawn to historical fiction. In college, I read the memoirs of generals from WWII. I liked their mindset. Even though they didn’t want to be in their situation, they did what they had to do. I’m a big fan of Kurt Vonnegut. I got to know him when I was in the hospital. I like Slaughterhouse 5 and how he talks about death simply being an existence in another time and space.

What songs are on your workout playlist? It depends on the day and the workout, but I usually listen to punk rock and some heavy metal. It has to be fast paced.

What’s your mantra that keeps you going during tough workouts or bad days? Keep pushing!

How would you define ability? I would change how “ability” is defined and that it is not an ability that makes you strong, but your ability to push past your weaknesses that make you strong. Strength has nothing to do with what you can do when you are at your best, but what you can do when you are at your worst.

What is your sports story? Since a story usually has an ending and I know sports will always be a part of my life whether I am playing or not, I don’t think of it is a story. It is more of a journey.

What advice do you have for other athletes? It’s not about the impact on the game itself, but the impact you have on the lives of the people you play with and the people you inspire. Success is about the impact you have on others. 

Impact

If you know an athlete who you think should be profiled because s/he believes in the possible and redefines ability, please contact email me (jlstrattonpossiblebooks@gmail.com). 

Be the change you wish to see in the world. –Gandhi

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This is my mantra. This is the foundation from which I teach my students and my children. However, change is challenging, uncomfortable and at times frightening. But is the challenge real or perceived? Is the discomfort physical or mental? And is my fear grounded in fact or fiction?

For me the challenge is often perceived. The discomfort is usually only mental, and the fear is grounded in more fiction than facts. Therefore, I force myself to move forward outside my comfort zone into the realm of “CHANGE.”

Unexpectedly, the push to change my career path came to me on my short drive to work this fall. It wasn’t a day that I didn’t want to teach. In fact, I was excited to share my love of teaching reading with a fantastic group of pre-service teachers. They were discovering for themselves that supporting early readers is the merge of magic and science.

So what happened? It was an epiphany of sorts resulting from critical reflection on an incident that occurred last year when my daughter, Caitlin, was in kindergarten.

It started over dinner when she was deciding what to bring in for “show and tell” at school. Remembering her recent visit to my office, she asked if she could bring in the poster of her cousin that hung on my door. Excited about her decision, I agreed and told her that I would get it for her the next day.

The following afternoon, I carefully pulled the tape from the back and rolled up the poster of Nick in his Team USA uniform with gold and silver medals hanging around his neck. I, then, tucked it into my bag and headed home. That night after dinner, the kids argued which one of them would get to share the poster first. My son, Nolan, who was in third grade, stated that he wanted to take the poster to school on Thursday because Caitlin did not have “show and tell” until Friday. This seemed a reasonable request, but I said I would email their teachers and wait to hear back from them.

I sent their teachers links to articles about Nick’s accomplishments and video clips from the Beijing Games, along with a photo of the poster. Nolan’s teacher responded that night saying she had shared Nick’s story with her family and how they were all inspired by his success. Yes, like many world-class athletes, his story is inspiring.

I didn’t hear from Caitlin’s teacher until the next morning. She explained that she had forwarded my email to the principal and that she was concerned the poster would “scare” the children. I was appalled.

Nick Springer is Caitlin’s cousin. Nick Springer is a gold and silver medalist in the 2008 and 2012 Paralympics. Nick Springer is a world-class athlete who plays wheelchair rugby. Nick Springer is a survivor of meningococcal meningitis. Nick Springer is a quad amputee.

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Unfortunately, the only label her teacher could see was the last, and she found it frightening.

The next day, I received a call at work from the school principal. Here is a bit from my side of the conversation:

“It is not if Caitlin will share the poster, but when.”

“How can we be okay with sharing images like Captain Hook with young children, yet we are afraid to share a photo of someone who represented our country in the Paralympics?”

“I find it more frightening that we have an educator who feels unprepared to embrace diversity in her classroom. If she can’t handle this conversation, what other conversations are not occurring?”

On the following Friday, with the support and guidance from the principal, Caitlin shared the poster. And, how did her classmates react? They thought her cousin was totally awesome!

Proud Cousin

However, I never found peace with the situation. Well… until this fateful car ride to work.

A book. A tool. That was it, I would write a children’s book celebrating Nick’s story, and it would be a tool for Caitlin’s former teacher and every educator to discuss, embrace and celebrate differences.

Thus, my journey began and I started researching picture book biographies. Over the past three months, I have read 44 picture book biographies. So far, only two have featured a person with a disability, Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull (1996) and A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant (2014). Of the 44 picture book biographies, 10 have been about athletes, but not one has featured a Paralympian. According to the CDC and the 2010 census, approximately 20% of adults in the US are disabled. Yet, individuals with disabilities remain a vastly underrepresented group in children’s literature.

My plan is to change this. I will be the “CHANGE” (or at least be a part of it). I will research and write the amazing life stories of people with disabilities or more accurately stated, “people with exceptionalities.” Yes, I will write stories of people who lead exceptional lives that educate, empower and inspire others.

If you have an amazing story to tell, please share it. Let’s be the change we wish to see in the world.

Believe in the possible,

Jen