Paralympian and inspirational speaker, John Register, shares his story of struggle and success titled The New Normal. John had the room at The Center for American Values captivated and inspired.

Our speaker today is an overcomer he is A Gulf War Army veteran four-time track And field all-american and a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier who suffered a Sports career ending injury which Resulted in the amputation of his left Leg yet despite a devastating setback he Hurdled his adversity and won the long Jump silver medal in Sydney Australia Please welcome mr. John register I don’t Consider myself a motivational speaker Or presenter motivation is emotional Inspiration sticks I struggled with the Word inspiration inspiring I thought it Was one of those words of pity there’s Nothing that’s different than me than When I had two limbs and running around Then when I just have one leg running Around I’m doing now much more with one Leg I ever did with two may 17 1994 I Was on my way to make in the nineteen Ninety six olympic team the army bus had Just pulled off Hays Kansas and I set up The hurdles a fourth hurdle I knew I was Gonna be short so I said I was just Taking my left leg run out of it and as I went across the hurdle I’ll and it and I heard of all I could think about was Just kidding just get up just push Yourself up get up just push yourself With you know the bastard in the world Just get up with you just push yourself Up this one ow Just get up just push yourself up just

Get up the job just get off good oh god 90 minutes later the ambulance came it Cause gangrene to set him to the lower Portion of my lane okay doc but what’s Woody talk about what kind of what kind This is nice to me well you can keep the Limb but you have to use a wheelchair For the rest of your life is there Another choice is another option yes you Take an amputation I turned back to dr. Bones and said you know what that I know It has to be amputated and it hit me Like a ton of bricks that my life was Totally changed the life I knew it was Done and I began just to think about all Of the things i had lost in life as i Had to have a perspective shift i had to Create my new normal maybe maybe that’s It maybe I have to not think about what I’ve lost To think about the opportunities maybe It’s not about what’s past but what’s The present and what’s the future so When I asked you how about you what are The things in your life that you have to Amputate to press to your new moon when They come those diversity chicken Challenges happen sometimes we succumb To that for the moment but then we can Push ourselves beyond what was once Possible that something is actually Better the next day I can have my best Performances today but I can be even Better to month I began to to try to put

The context around what really are American values something that hits us Personally of patriotism on do expect But we all have a challenge we all can Be better than what we are today to Drive our American values to be better Than what we were yesterday to push us Into the new moments the new normals the New opportunities that we have before Each and every one of us and we are Either celebrated or hated for and That’s our uniqueness about the values That we have those are the things that I Believe are paramount to creating our Nation and moving it forward how many Times did I miss it how many times I Missed the opportunity to actually share Something about myself to expand Somebody else’s world how many times do We all miss it what really matters is That if I just walk around in shorts Someone is being inspired thank you so Much for your time As a cool-looking leg ain’t it I got That cover yesterday all is awesome Rattle of when that went out