|
View previous topic :: View next topic
|
| Author |
Message |
Ed Ziomek
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 472
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:00 pm Post subject: Two Legs Gone, 10K High: Amputee Triathlete Scott Rigsby |
    |
|
Scott Rigsby, Profile in Competition, Amputee Courage
At first glance, Scott Rigsby looks like a wounded Iraqi veteran with no legs.
Then we talked, and he explained, no, he lost his legs in a truck accident in 1986, which is explained on his website http://www.scottrigsby.com/
9 seconds that changed his life. 9 seconds that started a whole new meaning in strength and courage, for himself and everyone he meets.
Note: Only one leg was initially lost in those 9 seconds of tragedy, but the other was damaged enough that Scott had the second leg finally removed after 25 operations. "Better balance!" Courage!!!
Scott is now a triathelete amputee, and his mission is not about himself as much as his personal mission of inspiration and accomplishment, maybe, to show what one human can do. In the short 15 minutes we spoke, he spoke of how busy and rich his life now is, on the triathlete circuit, meeting the people and organizations that focus on the physically challenged human beings who contribute so much to our world.
The short of it... two quotes of inspiration...
"Everybody needs pats on the back and kicks in the ass."
"Do all that you can do, do the best that you can do, but never give up."
For amputees, he recommends the following website....
http://www.achillestrackclub.org/
As Scott informed me, special thanks to David Roselle, US Army, and Walter Reed Medical Center....a personal friend who was one of the few and first US Army Veta to return to active duty with amputation injuries, and to IPA Prosthetics and Orthotics, Panama City, Florida
....and of course...
Efrain Carrero, Port Authority of NY and NJ who went out of his way to find Scott’s bags at LaGuardia...Super customer service guy, thanks Efrain! Some Guys go out of there way to do the right thing!!!!
Scott didn't tell me this, but I believe he is available for prosthetics design consultation, and he definitly should package himself as an inspirational speaker and motivator.
NOBODY CALLS HIM HANDICAPPED, NO-BODY!!!
_________________
Ed Ziomek |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
efrain
Joined: 03 Aug 2006
Posts: 2
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
Did you all tell them what was in the bag.... $7800 in cash woot.
Thanks for the recogintion I feel good about seing this post. I now moved to Florida and Work for a Great Company called Document Technologies.
Hope you the best and good luck with your future
Efrain Carrero |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ed Ziomek
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 472
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:23 am Post subject: Money in the bag! |
|
|
Efrain... $7800 in a checked-in airport bag, that was momentarily misplaced...which you helped find! I should apply for your old job!
Good luck!
Ed Z
_________________
Ed Ziomek |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ed Ziomek
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 472
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:04 pm Post subject: ooops! Spoofed again! and Credit Card/Banking Compromised |
|
|
I re-met with the real "Efrain" at the airport...no...he had not seen the post. No, he did not move to Florida!
So, I've been had, again!
But it is a good opportunity to remind all of us that identity spoofs, identity theft, phishing, all those corrupted elements of the internet, which are getting worse and worse and more destructive. I even believe foreign governments and our own, may use this tool for dis-information purposes.
Just last week, my wife found a website that will give you incredible personal information on any name you submit, and claims, for an additional $40, to supply that persons social security number.
Most probably it is a scam within a scam within an illegal identity operation, for which you could NOT run to the police and claim theft of your $40. Meantime, the information that was found was incredibly accurate, and could only have come from credit card application information.
At one time, it was noted that a certain South American country had their entire banking system compromised...strangers would walk up to you on the street..."Hey, Fernando, how are you doing?"
"My name is not Fernando"
"Yes it is, and here is your bank statement showing $20,000 on deposit. You are coming with us till your family pays half of it".
Kidnapping for money became like a franchise operation, you could buy into so many miles of highway as your "turf". At the final payoff, champagne is served, and the "body" is returned, usually.
With all the off shore credit card customer service capabilities and implementations, I believe the entire American banking and credit card systems are now compromised.
Any information can be had, very, very easily.
So, yes, the real Efrain did NOT respond to my original thread, and he still works for the Port Authority of New York, God Bless them all.
_________________
Ed Ziomek |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
scottrigsby
Joined: 11 Sep 2006
Posts: 1
Location: Atlanta
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:50 pm Post subject: ADMIN PLEASE REMOVE THE WORD PARAPLEGIC IN THE.... |
|
|
post on this site about me. I am a double amputee triathlete that runs with a set of prosthetics. I am NOT a paraplegic. I know Ed meant well in his original post, but saying that I am a paraplegic confuses readers. If I were a paraplegic, I would not be able to run. Thank you for your help.
Ed,
I hope that you are doing well. Thank you for your zeal and trying to help me with my desire to see the physically challenged community become active in Multi-sport competitions.
All the best,
Scott Rigsby
www.scottrigsby.com
_________________
If you would like to partner with me in my barrier breaking Ironman quest, you can make a tax-deductible donation to Achilles Track, 42 W. 38th Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10018, 212-354-0300 fax: 212-354-3978. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ed Ziomek
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 472
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: This guy is total inspiration! |
|
|
Scott set another milestone as a double amputee, who to me still represents all the physically challenged persons in the world, one of whom is a close relative.
History made in Greenwood
Double amputee finishes half-ironman on prosthetic legs
http://www.indexjournal.com/news/20061002a_n.html
On the physically disabled by war...
...To all the US veterans, and Iraqi civilians, and Afghani civilians, and Israeli civilians, and Palestinian civilians, and Lebanese civilians, and who have lost limbs in these sad times, I pray for all of you and hope for the best. I would love to hear your stories too.
As a side story, my favorite veteran story was a Jimmy White, Westport, Connecticut, who was a boxer prior to him entering the service in World War II. He became a US Ranger, landed at Normandy at 5:30 AM, June 6th of 44, and actually was one of the 100 or so Rangers who scaled the cliff at Point du Loc. He received three purple hearts and was finally permanently disabled crossing the Rhine.
To the day he died, he carried shrapnel shards in his face which permanently disfigured him, and although he could right about his buddies, he rarely spoke of his own exploits. In the final several years of his life, he became a recluse of sorts, rarely venturing out, almost too ashamed of the way he looked, and the embarrassed looks he received, I guess.
To all those nameless persons who suffer these injuries, I pray for all of you. Some, like Scott Rigsby have the courage to stand up and fight on towards success. Some do not, and need Scott's inspiration.
If nothing else, though, the old-time vets knew what they were fighting for, and what they sacrificed for, and would gladly do it all over again for their family and friends and certainly for the buddies that never came back.
The politicians in Washington ought to remember, they ought to have a clue why they send our sons and daughters and fathers into these un-winnable quagmires, some to never come back.
_________________
Ed Ziomek |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
efrain
Joined: 03 Aug 2006
Posts: 2
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Wow |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ed Ziomek
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 472
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:59 pm Post subject: Spirit of Scott Rigsby... Amputee Veterans' Recovery Efforts |
|
|
I am sharing another bright light to these tragic stories, that of wounded American veterans, many with multiple amputations, and a brief video clip of some of their rehabilitation success stories.
While Scott himself was not a veteran, a million thanks to him for inspiring me on these stories, and God Bless all wounded persons of this war, and all victims of tragic accidents causing these injuries... There is hope! and prayers!
From Yahoo! News, a video clip with a short up-front promo...
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=49750&cl=2910542&ch=61492&src=news
_________________
Ed Ziomek |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ed Ziomek
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 472
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:44 pm Post subject: A nation of heros and patriots... |
|
|
I just received another treasure...from Scott Rigsby, Ironman Triathlete...just wanted to share what patriotic Americans can do...
This week, America gave the Medal of Honor to a super hero, Mike Murphy of Long Island, and I think they should create a similar Medal for inpiration and courage for all the nameless heros and heroines we see every day of our lives, just like Scott.
So to all the amputees and casualties of this life, and victims of abuse, and victims of unfairness and catastrophe, over here and anywhere in the world...I am with you in my prayers.
***************
IRONMAN TRIATHLON
Double amputee struggles, succeeds
Atlanta's Rigsby pays price for making history
By STEVE HUMMER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/22/07
The Atlanta Ironman kept to his wheelchair this past week. The ends of his amputated legs were blistered, swollen and raw, and showing signs of infection. His muscles felt like they had been doing laps through a pasta maker. The gifts of completing one of the globe's notorious endurance races just kept giving.
A week ago, on the big island of Hawaii, Scott Rigsby, 39, became the first below-the-knee double amputee to complete an Ironman triathlon. That meant swimming 2.4 miles without legs, then biking 112 miles and running a 26.2-mile marathon with prosthetics. He had 17 hours to complete the task. He made it in 16:42:46 — a little close, but that kind of history didn't require much margin.
All this was set in motion when the teenaged Rigsby was injured in a south Georgia truck accident. He would begin exiting a long period of depression and pain through physical exertion. Nearly two years ago, he decided to test himself against some of the hardest races, vowing to
compete and complete. He lined up sponsors. He began a foundation aimed at enabling physically challenged athletes. He rounded up the people and the technology to make an audacious idea possible.
One catch. He actually had to do this thing.
"We hate to say it," said Scott Johnson, a friend who is helping organize the Rigsby Foundation, "but if he didn't finish, he'd be just another person out there on prosthetics trying to do the unthinkable and not being able to do it."
Rigsby had tried once and failed to complete an Ironman event in Idaho earlier this year when he crashed during the bike segment. He arrived in Hawaii weighed down by the need for credibility.
In the race program, he was heralded as "The Miracle."
Earlier in the week, a wounded veteran approached Rigsby after a practice swim and told him, "You have got to finish this race because you can change the world.
Our military men and women need you."
Those were among the thoughts in his head with about seven miles to go in the final, marathon leg as he was on pace to just miss the cut-off time.
"He's not going to make it; he's absolutely not going to make it," Johnson fretted.
That simple prayer Rigsby offered before the event — "God, if you open up a door, I'll run through it" — didn't seem quite so simple now.
Rigsby sailed through the start in the ocean, safe for being kicked once in the face. A strong headwind for the last third of the bike course depleted his strength and his wiggle room with the clock. And in the pitch darkness amid some lava fields, he was hitting the infamous "wall." He struggled through that, picking up his pace.
The last three miles, he said, comprised the worst pain he has felt since he had begun competing.
"I started talking to myself: You have three miles to go; if you can
just do three miles, you have an opportunity to really change the world.
You can have an impact," he said.
When he hit the finish, the sound from the crowd, he said, "was like the loudest SEC game you've ever heard."
"I was thinking: I want to cross the finish line, I'm going to smile at everybody, I'm going to strike a pose, and I want to find the first stretcher I can," Rigsby said.
The accomplishment was in the bank, and in the what-now stage that follows, Rigsby and his friends are designing ways to draw interest. Rigsby will be featured in the NBC broadcast of the event, to air Dec. 1. In the meantime, he said, there is work to be done in positioning Rigsby, behind his foundation, as a spokesman for physically challenged competitors and the redefining of limits.
When able, Rigsby said he will resume training and plot a schedule of events in 2008.
"There is no beer and chicken wings in my future," he said.
"The legacy of Scott is not whether he does another Ironman or 500 more," said Mike Lenhart, Rigsby's training partner and founder of another organization like his, Getting2Tri. "[His legacy] is if there are a dozen or so other physically challenged individuals who do a 5K run or do an international distance triathlon or even an Ironman, and
say the reason they did this is because they saw Scott Rigsby do it."
*********
I am suggesting that Scott create a bumper sticker...Him running..."Everybody needs pats on the back and kicks in the ass".
"But for the grace of God...."
_________________
Ed Ziomek |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
blogger
del.icio.us
digg
slashdot
