The Force of Humility: World's First Triple Amputee to Finish Hardest Race

Friday I listened to an extraordinary person share his message in a non-extraordinary way, that is with humility, quietly, without boom or voice projection, without a style that would announce he was a particularly dynamic speaker, but for his brilliant smile and mind-blowing story.

He stammered through because he admitted, his passion and faith took over his voice, more familiar with sharing his physical hurdles than his faith, a message my YMCA, the host for the event, welcomed and encouraged.

Despite being a sought after and renowned speaker, being interviewed by CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, that the city of Orlando dedicated a "Rajesh Durbal" day, Raj, as his friends call him, remained humble through every word, grateful to God, grateful to come our YMCA event and speak to our smallish room of 150.

Rajesh was born with bones missing in both his legs and with a right arm only partially developed.  By one year old doctors amputated both legs leaving him a full body cast for 3 months.  Following his recovery, he was fitted for leg prosthetics and began the grueling process of learning how to do what most people don't give a second thought - walk.

This was reason enough to lay low I thought, to find excuses not to exercise vigorously beyond the requisite physical therapy or to put himself through anything that caused him more pain.

But Rajesh became the world’s first triple amputee to compete and finish the Hawaii Iron Man, an event most fully-limbed people can't enter, never mind crossing the finish line without collapsing. 

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