My new book, No Barriers, is full of stories of people that exemplify what I call a No Barriers Life. It was fun to write about the adventures that we have shared, but frankly it was also very difficult. Living a No Barriers Life is wrought with struggle and tragedy. But it is also marked by tremendous courage, a concept that I call Reach. 

This Summer at our No Barriers Summit, my teammate Connor introduced me to Cole Rogers, who he met in College at Cal Poly. Cole was born with arythrogryposis, a condition that fused his joints, weakened his muscles, and ultimately forced him into a wheelchair. Rather than shrinking, Cole has fought to make his life meaningful, and exciting. To that end Cole started FightAbility, an organization dedicated to teaching self-defense and martial arts to people of all abilities. For Cole, and I think for all of us, it is not really about whether you do martial arts or rock climb or play an instrument. What matters is that you find something, a challenge, a goal, a commitment that drives and motivates you to keep reaching, even when the natural reaction should be to quit or never reach out in the first place.

Cole joined us for our Summit Hike and I think you’ll appreciate checking out his journey.

See Cole’s Story Here