Volunteering at the No Barriers festival at Shake-a-Leg, I realized that there really are no limits to what we are all are capable of. When your heart is in it, and your spirit is strong, you can make anything happen!
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The 2009 No Barriers Festival at Shake-a-Leg Miami was even more inspiring and exciting than I could have imagined! There were so many wonderful people with incredible stories that I don't even know where to start. It was great to see all these people, companies, and organizations working together to able the disabled, and make their lives more fun!
Through sports (like sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, paddleboarding, handcycling, fencing, rowing, swimming, climbing, and more) people were finding out that they could do more than they thought.
10 year old James is a bubble of happy energy. Even though he is missing both of his legs and an arm, I hardly saw him without a smile on his face. James sailed all by himself thanks to this joystick-controlled electronic dinghy.
His twin sister, Hanna, climbed that wall about fifteen times and kept on trying until she reached the top. No Barriers is for everybody. The message is universal.
Handcycles are totally the new bicycles.
Another friend I made was Lydia, 25, who was in a tragic car accident a few years ago that left her unable to walk. Besides having a blast on the handcycle, she was happy to be around other disabled people her own age. (You also might recognize her as one of the backup dancer's in Rose Falcon's music video, "UP UP UP")
Swimming with the Dolphins! It was almost a sad story because the first day, as everyone was about to get in the pool, it started storming, (hurricane style). Luckily, they rescheduled for the next day, which turned out to be sunny & gorgeous.
As promised, Molly the Pony!! Apparently she loves having lots of kids around her because they are small like she is.
The City of Miami Parks & Recreation Department hosted the adaptive fencing.
There are two tiny eco-islands of the coast of Shake-a-Leg. We took a boat out there and I watched as people swam, kayaked, and paddleboarded. (There was even a dog on a paddleboard!)
(photos by Debbie Attias; To check out more of my pictures from this fantastic event, check out my set on flickr.)
This event went so great thanks to the help and participation of so many people, like the Mayor, who spoke at the opening ceremony. (photo courtesy of Shake-a-Leg)
and 17 year old Lateefah Dooling, who sang at the opening ceremony (photo courtesy of Shake-a-Leg)
Next weekend is No Barriers 2009 at Shake-a-Leg Miami.
I have mentioned Shake-a-Leg before in my story about the camp for ventilatation assisted children and have mentioned the Festival before in my post about it's founder, Erik W., who is also the first blind man to climb all Seven Summits. The No Barriers Festival is finally here!
This is an exciting four-day event which brings together all kinds of people, with and without disabilities, to showcase different ways that people can break down their mental barriers and achieve more than they thought possible. The event brings together scientists showcasing new technologies, athletes who have achieved the 'impossible,' pioneers who are constantly pushing the limits of expectations, and then some.
Activities include sailing, kayaking, adaptive fishing, swimming with dolphins, hand cycling, snorkeling, climbing, art, canoeing, paddling, tai-chi, adaptive yoga, horseback riding, wheelchair fencing, excursions into the everglades, and so much more!
At the heart of all of this will be Innovation Village, at Shake-a-Leg where new equipment and devices will be available for participants to test as well as many of the experts who created them. Participants can share their feedback and input so that both the makers and users can teach and learn from each other.
There will also be exciting speakers like Aimee Mullins, who at the age of one had both of her legs amputated, but went on to set world records in the 100 & 200 meter dash and the long jump in the Paralympics in Atlanta in 1996. Jesse Billauer, a pro surfer who became a quadriplegic early in his career, but continues to surf and started a non-profit called Life Rolls On, dedicated to increasing awareness about spinal chord related injuries. Also speaking is Kelly Perkins, the first heart transplant recipient to reach the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. There will even be an appearance by Molly the pony!
Erik Weihenmayer is blind, but I wish more people could see the world the way he does. He is full of perseverance and determination and does not let anything stop him from living his life to the fullest. He is the only blind person to have ever climbed the Seven Summits, which means he has climbed the tallest peak on every continent. He has overcome his disability and made his life a living example that anyone can do anything they put their mind to. "In order to achieve greatness we have to square off with our own challenges." I had the opportunity to see him speak this week and was so motivated by his words.
He is a co-founder of the "No Barriers Festival," which will be held June 4-7 at Shake-a-Leg Miami. The festival is designed to help people with challenges break through their barriers and teach them new mindsets. He brings together all kids of pioneers, thinkers, researchers, analysts, humanitarians, scientists, artists, and athletes to showcase new technologies and explore possibilities. "It's for anyone who dreams big and has a sense of their life as a great adventure."
Erik refers to himself and his fellow pioneers as alchemists. They "take all the lead that life piles on top of them and turn it into gold." They "use the energy from the storm of adversity to propel them further than they would have gone." Erik describes a climber friend of his who had to have both of his legs amputated, and went on to get a Ph.D. and design synthetic legs for climbing that not only had rubber feet, but could be extended when needed (like Inspector Gadget!) With these legs, he became a better climber than he ever was before the accident.
(Erik describes how when he went parasailing he had to tie a bell to a string from his feet, so that he would know exactly when to start landing.)
Erik has travelled the world inspiring and motivating others to overcome their barriers and live up to their potential. He described how in Tibet people throw rocks at the blind, believing them to contain evil spirits. He showed a video where one blind Tibetan boy's mother told the camera that a serpent had cursed her son. "Without eyes a man is not complete," she said, "he used to be so smart and now his life is a waste," while the boy behind her held back his tears. Erik took this boy, along with a few others, halfway up Mt. Everest teaching them that they are much more capable than they have been raised to believe.
The No Barriers Festival is still looking for volunteers, so if you are interested, and will be in Miami June 4-7, contact volunteers@shakealegmiami.org
