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Recalculating my route in life Hi my name is Mor Sapir and I'm 25 years old. On October 2014, I survived a snow storm and avalanche in the Annapurna Ridge of the Himalaya Mountain in Nepal. Three of my expedition friends died there, and I had the luck to survive and come back. This resulted in me losing all of my 10 fingers in both of my hands due to snow freeze/burn injury when trying to save my own life in the snow. After a long half year of rehabilitation which I was offered to do different hand therapies that made me feel really old… I started to search for something exciting to do with myself and as Waze says.. I "recalculated my route in life". I don't know what made me do it, maybe it was the craziness of the challenge being a climber with no fingers, or just the need to go out of my comfort zone, but I felt I must try A friend of mine offered me to try wall rock climbing…I don't know what made me do it, maybe it was the craziness of the challenge being a climber with no fingers, or just the need to go out of my comfort zone, but I felt I must try. I discovered that climbing is special. It focus on abilities to overcome obstacles. Every rock and every crack is important and you combine both physical mental abilities. During practice my hands got better and stronger, the skin on my remaining finger bases was becoming harder, and I started to feel like regular rock climber as I started doing what other not adaptive climbers were doing. In every rock/challenge we encounter, we should find the way to make it ours, embrace it, learn from it, climb up and grow I managed to train my new hands that good that things I couldn’t do before such as holding a fork or writing with a pencil I suddenly managed to figure out a way to hold them. Today I am a full time para-climber practicing for the world adaptive climbing competition and lecturing about spiritual and physical climbing, sharing my insights and experience from my own story. My message to you is that in every rock/challenge we encounter, we should find the way to make it ours, embrace it, learn from it, climb up and grow!

“Early on, I decided that I was going to become completely independent no matter how long it took.” During a car accident, Beth’s spinal cord was cut at C6-7 by shattered bone. She had quadriplegia with four limbs impaired. Fourteen years old, she focused on how to be less dependent. In the rehab pool, she learned how to float with her arms gently waving under the surface. Three years later, Beth competed with all of the swim strokes on the U.S. Paralympic National Swim Team. Four years after her injury, when she moved from a small town in Ohio to a freshman dorm at Harvard College, she needed no assistant for personal care, a rare feat for quads. “Becoming independent. That is my greatest achievement.” The greatest, yes, but not her last. Beth swam on the Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving Team, the first with a visible disability. She traveled the world on the national team for five years and set fourteen American Records. Eleven remain. Today, Beth serves on the board of AbleThrive, a world-wide nonprofit helping families thrive with a disability. She works long days as a health policy lawyer in Washington, DC, and continues to mentor and volunteer—as she has since her injury. Beth is proud to be part of the amazing disability community. More of their adventures on the blog at: www.strugglingwithserendipity.com

I was born with Cerebral Palsy and am wheelchair or walker dependent, but that hasn't stopped me from being fashionable My name is Alicia Searcy and I am the spashionista (short for Spastic Fashionista) Nashville, Tennessee's disabled fashion and style blogger extraordinaire. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and am wheelchair or walker dependent, but that hasn't stopped me from being fashionable. In fact, I think being stylish and caring about one's appearance is a sign of self-respect and approachability. For the last four years on my blog, Spashionista.com, I've shared my passion for fashion, style, trends, and a glimpse at life in Nashville while advocating for social awareness and acceptance of people with disabilities. During that time I've befriended so many of Nashville's talented fashion designers, boutique owners, artisans and creatives that fully support the idea of inclusion and body positivity. When I wear their clothing and accessories I am raising awareness that fashion isn't just for young, able-bodied supermodels. It's for all of us.

We may do things differently, but don't let your difference hold you back! I was born without my left hand, but it has not slowed me down. I started riding horses when I was 5, and fell in love. I started training for rodeo at 9, and I have fallen off many times. Breaking my only hand once, it was during this trip to the hospital that doctors discovered I have a Lipoma of the brain as well. This goes along with my Pectus Excavatum which is the cause of my Mitral Valve Prolapse. None of these conditions slow me down. I am now competing in Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat Tying, and I am learning to rope. I hope to inspire all youth with differences. We may do things differently, but don't let your difference hold you back!

Friendships come in different ways and forms and I thank Jeremy for becoming a new friend to me at the age of 23 My name is Daniel Kaplan and when I interviewed to be a camp counselor at Keshet a few summers back, I never imagined the impact or life changing effect it may have on me. My then camper, and now friend, Jeremy loves mermaids and aliens. He loves riding roller coasters or anything that will give him a good thrill. And he loves Sunday's because that is our day we get to spend together. Not only does he love Sunday's, but I look forward to seeing him and the huge smile on his face when we get to hang out. Friendships come in different ways and forms and I thank Jeremy for becoming a new friend to me at the age of 23.

השיקום היה ברוטלי, אבל לא נכנעתי גדלתי בעיר קטנה בצפון הארץ. שיחקתי כדורסל מקצועי והייתי חלק מהנבחרת הלאומית. בגיל 24, כשעוד שיחקתי כדורסל ואימנתי וגם הייתי סטודנטית לפיזיותרפיה, התעוררתי בוקר אחד ואחרי שעתיים הפכתי משותקת לגמרי בפלג גופי התחתון. מאוחר יותר גילו הרופאים שאני סובלת מהתפרצות מום מולד בכלי דם בעמוד השדרה. השיקום היה אכזרי, אבל לא ויתרתי. החלטתי לנצח את גופי בכל בוקר, כדי להשלים את לימודיי האקדמיים ולהשיג את כל המטרות שלי בחיים. לקח לי 3 חודשים אבל עשיתי זאת, חזרתי לאוניברסיטת חיפה וסיימתי את התואר ב-2009, מאז אני עובדת כפיזיותרפיסטית ילדים. The rehabilitation was brutal, but I didn’t give up I grew up in a small town located in the northern part of Israel. I played professional basketball and was part of the youth national team. At the age of 24 while still being a basketball player and a coach, and also a physical therapy student, I woke up one morning and after two hours was completely paralyzed from the chest down. Later the doctors found out I suffered a spinal stroke. The rehabilitation was brutal, but I didn’t give up. I decided to win over my body each and every morning, in order to go back to school and accomplish all of my goals in life. It took me 3 month but I did it, I got back to Haifa University and graduated in 2009 as a pediatric and child developmental physical therapist. למדתי מהחתירה לאהוב את השילוב המדהים שבין הגוף והנפש לפני 5 שנים החלטתי לחזור לאהבה הראשונה שלי ולשחק כדורסל כיסאות גלגלים. להיות אתלטית שוב ​​היה צעד משמעותי וגדול עבורי. ייצגתי את ישראל באליפות אירופה בכדורסל כיסאות גלגלים ב-2011 ו-2013, ונבחרתי ל-All star team כאחת מחמש השחקניות הטובות באירופה. במקביל הצטרפתי גם כשחקנית נבחרת הגברים בבית הלוחם בתל אביב. בסוף 2010 התחלתי גם בקריירה בחתירה, ממנה למדתי לאט לאט לאהוב את השילוב המדהים בין הגוף והנפש. זכיתי במדליות ארד וכסף באליפות העולם ועכשיו אני שואפת להגיע רחוק ככל האפשר בריו 2016! Slowly I grew into loving this amazing combination between body and mind that rowing taught me 5 years ago I decided to go back to my first love and began to play wheelchair basketball. Being an athlete again was a significant and powerful step for me. I have represented Israel in the 2011 and 2013 European wheelchair basketball championship, and was elected for the All Star team of the tournament. On top of that, I play with the professional men team of Biet Halochem Tel Aviv. At the end of 2010 I took up pararowing as an individual sport. Slowly I grew into loving this amazing combination between body and mind that rowing taught me. I have won a bronze and silver middle in world championships and now I aim as high as possible for Rio 2016!

Oliwia is the kindness and sweetest girl I have ever been around Hello, this is my daughter Oliwia and we want to send greetings from Poland! Oliwia is the kindness and sweetest girl I have ever been around. Oliwia is 6 years old, and she she has Spina Bifida and Kyfoscoliosis. She loves attending sport’s competition for children with disabilities and also the skate park. She loves using her wheels and has learned to ride perfectly to get around, dance and play with friends.

אין דבר המגביל אדם מלעשות את מה שהוא אוהב ורוצה לעשות שמי שחר בוצר. אני אבא בן 34, איש עסקים ויזם, ומעולם לא איפשרתי למוגבלות שלי להגדיר את חיי או את עצמי. אני מאמין שאין דבר המגביל אדם מלעשות את מה שהוא אוהב ורוצה לעשות. אתם רק צריכים לעשות את זה! נולדתי עם ניוון שרירי. מאז ילדותי, אני מתנייד באמצעות כסא גלגלים ממונע. עם המוגבלות שלי שירתתי בצבא, למדתי כלכלה באוניברסיטת תל אביב ובשנת 2009 נבחרתי ליו"ר אגודת הסטודנטים. אני אבא לשני ילדים יפים ומלמד אותם שאין דבר בלתי אפשרי מלטייל בעולם, להתנסות בהרפתקאות חדשות או להפוך לשותף מנהל בקרן השקעות. אתם יכולים לעשות כל דבר שאתם מעוניינים בו. I believe that there is nothing that limits a person from doing what he loves and wants to do My name is Shahar Botzer. I am a 34 year old father, businessman and entrepreneur, who never allowed my disability to define my life or myself. I believe that there is nothing that limits a person from doing what he loves and wants to do. You just need to do it! I was born with muscular dystrophy. Since childhood, I have been mobile by using a motorized wheelchair. With my disability, I served in the Israeli military, studied economics in Tel Aviv University, and in 2009 was elected as Chairman of the Student Union. I am a father to two beautiful children and I teach them that nothing is impossible from traveling around the world, trying new adventures or becoming a managing partner at an impact investing fund. You can do anything you put your mind into.

I set 3 state records and got 8 gold medals I had a 4 wheeler accident on July 2nd, 2014. I shattered my vertebra in my back, fractured 3 ribs, and my left lung collapsed. I was paralyzed from the waist down for 2 months. The doctors didn't think I would ever walk again, and now I can walk with a cane, a walker, and crutches. I am on the track team at my school, and my first year of track I won the state championship. I set 3 state records and got 8 gold medals. Anything is possible through God! Never give up on anything.

There is nothing that can stop you if you decide to take full advantage of the enjoyable moments in life My name is Ofer- I'm a D-12 paraplegic and a former commando armed forces soldier, injured in the course of duty. I'm 34 years old. Most of my life I've been doing sports, activities and fun stuff that makes your adrenaline pump, such as wind surfing, moto crossing, skiing and extreme tracking. Since my injury I've managed to rediscover my passions through adaptive sports, which I highly recommend. Today I'm back to mono skiing all around the world. I am also a free parachute diver and lately I’ve started to work on my kite surfing skills. I am happily married and I have amazing triplets: two boys and a girl. My life motto is: there is nothing that can stop you if you decide to take full advantage of the enjoyable moments in life. You can choose to live anywhere, build a family, pursue activities, create a career and have life long friends.

On those days that it gets tough you must try to remember why you started and then you will know why you must continue Hey! I am Jesse Lee Botha, a twenty year old paraplegic. I had a horrific car accident two years ago where my aorta was ripped from my heart leaving my spinal cord without any blood supply, causing paralysis. There are days where living with a disability becomes unbearable and challenging, but I am grateful for the friends and family I have in my life. Regardless of my disability, I decided to pursue wheelchair rugby as a hobby but due to me being a paraplegic I cannot compete on a professional level. I also enjoy body building and testing my body's limits. My message to those out there living with a disability is the following: On those days that it gets tough you must try to remember why you started and then you will know why you must continue.

I'm sure you're wondering why I spend my life in a wheelchair Hi, my name is Ben and I am 13 years old, currently attending 8th grade. When I was only 3, I was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy. This led me to having to have a heart transplant later on. I'm sure you're wondering why I spend my life in a wheelchair. Well... when I was waiting for my donor heart on life support, a blood clot was thrown directly to my spinal cord, which resulted to turn into a L5-S1 spinal cord injury. Now, I am playing wheelchair basketball on the Jr Road Warriors, run by BORP athletics. This has led me to meet great new friends that live all around the Bay Area. I am hoping to go to either ASU or Illinois University. Remember, always live your life to the fullest!