KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- A new Nike commercial shows a quadruple amputee scaling a snowy mountain. That mountain climber is also a motivational speaker, who will be speaking at Kirtland Sept. 13.
Kyle Maynard, who authored the book “No Excuses” and is an ESPY award mixed martial arts athlete, will talk about how his never let his limitations prevent him from achieving his goals and dreams.
“Many of the audience members might be struggling with difficult things,” Maynard said. “I will let them know that there is no limitation stronger than what is inside of you. I want people to come away feeling like whatever they want most is possible to achieve.”
Maynard was born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, where fibrous bands prevent the development of fetal limbs. His father, who was in the Army, and his mother decided early on not to treat him differently because of his disability. Like other kids, he pursued involvement in sports, including youth football and wrestling.
“My parents treated me the same as any other kid,” he said. “If I wanted to do something, they would help me find a way to make it happen.”
He said the biggest step in overcoming limitations is awareness.
“You can’t overcome something you don’t know is there,” he said. “There is untapped potential inside of us, and we all need to try to find that and understand it and then share it with others. We all need something to help ignite that flame inside us.”
Maynard said his experiences have led to some very cool adventures, but his favorite was being able to carry to ashes of a fallen soldier, Private 1st Class John Corey Johnson, to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at the request of Johnson’s family. Maynard became known as the first quadruple amputee to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics.
He said he is looking forward to sharing some of his experiences with Kirtland and hopes to inspire and motivate the members of Team Kirtland.
Maynard will offer two sessions, the first at 8 a.m. at the Base Theater, and the second at 2 p.m. in the Phillips Conference Center, Building 201. All base members are invited to attend.