If you've ever felt down and out, discouraged, beaten or broken, Kevin Saunders has been there. And if you're wondering how someone rises from those depths to become a champion, he's been there, too.

Kevin Saunders was just like any other young man from the Kansas countryside. Fresh out of college and starting a family, he worked long hours as a Federal grain elevator inspector. Touring facilities day after day in the heat, he knew the job wouldn't be easy - but he didn't know it would nearly take his life.

But then, on a busy afternoon like any other, Kevin heard the sound he would never forget ... one explosion, and then another, snapping like popcorn in the distance. The rising volume and tremor of the floor told an unmistakable truth - that the building he was standing in would soon burst into flames. And, in a matter of seconds, it did. Before he had time to even think or move, a blast rocketed the office and sent him over a 2-story building three hundred feet into the air. When rescuers found him, he was lying a quarter of a mile away in a parking lot, bent and broken at the chest.

For days, Kevin lay teetering on the edge of life and death, even hearing his doctor admit to a visitor that there "wasn't any hope." Against all odds, he survived his injuries only to find that the real trauma was about to begin. Paralyzed from the chest down, he struggled to find a new meaning and focus for his life. Abused and abandoned by his young wife, his life fell into disarray. Divorced, bankrupt, and utterly alone, Kevin fell into a deep depression.

But rather than remain miserable, Kevin did what he now teaches audiences around the world to do - he decided to keep moving forward. By sharpening his body and mind together, he became a world class competitor. Athletically, he won hundreds of gold medals and earned the title of "the greatest all-around wheelchair athlete in the world." And that success was only the beginning. He's gone on to feature in a major motion picture, serve under two administrations on the President's Council on Physical Fitness, participate in "the biggest turnaround in college sports history," push his wheelchair across North America and Europe, and even pen five books and appear on shows like ESPN, USA Today and countless other national, international and local media outlets.

Ask Kevin how he accomplished any of these things, and he'll tell you the secret to his success - To never lose your faith in God and Never Give Up! That's the message he's delivered to more than 5,000 groups around the world, including more than 1,000 schools, and it's one he'd love to share with your audience.

Tragedy to Triumph!

Excruciating pain swept through Kevin Saunders. It was the last thing – the only thing – that he remembers from the moments before he lost consciousness. When he woke-up, he was face down in a hospital bed with massive internal and external injuries. The doctors told Kevin Saunders there had been an explosion, and while Kevin was injured, ten of his co-workers were dead. Kevin wondered if they had been the lucky ones. The blast had hurled him right through the roof. Kevin Saunders flew up over 300 feet in the sky, over a two-story building and then landed hard in a concrete parking lot.

When the paramedics found him, his body was broken over at the chest like most people bend at the waist and blood and cerebral spinal fluid were oozing from his ear, nose and mouth. Kevin Saunders first reaction upon regaining consciousness was an overwhelming fear. Kevin was almost completely immobile with all kinds of tubes and needles poking out of him, and every other second, piercing pain shot through his spine. When the doctors told him that he was a paraplegic, Kevin fell into a massive depression.

Kevin Saunders had always been a very athletic person, and now Kevin couldn't even get out of bed by himself. He was stripped of his pride and personal dignity, paralyzed from the chest down and left alone to wallow in self-pity. Depression and self-doubt ate Kevin alive, dominating his thoughts and reducing him to a shell of his former self. Kevin Saunders thought that his life was over. It wasn’t only Kevin’s arms and legs that had been rendered immobile, but his spirit had been lost in the blast as well. The reality of it ate at Kevin with every ounce of sense in his body. Kevin Saunders was done.

Except he wasn’t.  
God gave Kevin a second chance and with the help of his Rugby coach and friends who mercilessly trained him with weights and a medicine ball day after day, With determination and a never give up attitude Kevin Saunders rose from those depths to become a top motivational coach, inspirational speaker, corporate speaker, sports speaker, business speaker, school speaker, college speaker, high school football speaker college football speaker and professional football speaker. Kevin is an inspirational athlete and also won the title of the “world’s greatest all-around wheelchair athlete.” Motivational speaker Kevin Saunders was the first person with a disability appointed to the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness & Sports (PCPFS) and was the only person reappointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports by President Bill Clinton.
 Kevin Saunders worked alongside PCPFS chairman, now California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  George W. Bush appointed Kevin Saunders in 2004 to a special committee working with the PCPFS and HHS to come up with a plan to improve fitness and health for children with disabilities and they created the National Initiative on Physical Fitness for Children and Youth with Disabilities called the “I Can Do It, You Can Do It”. 

Kevin Saunders became a top 100 motivational speaker and inspirational speaker. Kevin was a principal actor and played next to Tom Cruise in the academy award winning movie Born on the 4th of July directed by Oliver Stone. He worked with the Kansas State University football team with Head Coach Bill Snyder as the motivational coach and inspirational athlete to participate in what was later known as the ‘greatest turnaround in college football history.’

 

Reverend Robert Schuller had Kevin as a guest inspirational speaker on his “Hour of Power” evangelism television show. Kevin Saunders shared his story and testimony of inspirational faith that gave him spiritual inspiration to overcome adversity that he faced on an almost constant basis to become a world champion wheelchair athlete and top motivation speaker and start to fulfill Gods purpose for his life. Kevin Saunders shared his testimony of faith to its estimated worldwide Television audience of 20 million around the world. Inspirational Speaker Kevin Saunders also pushed his wheelchair more than 2,500 miles across America promoting health and fitness on behalf of the American Heart Association, and later through five European countries serving as an inspirational speaker and international ambassador for health and fitness.

 

 

The Grain Dust Explosion!

It all seemed like a dream and when I woke-up; I was face down in a hospital bed with massive internal and external injuries. I had to start thinking about overcoming adversity. I didn’t know where I was and I had a lot of overcoming adversity to do. I could vaguely recall some sort of explosion, but it didn’t seem real, why I should I have to be overcoming adversity like this?  I was twenty five years old, newly married, with a baby on the way. I’d finished my college education at Kansas State University and gotten a good job with the US Department of Agriculture, inspecting grain elevators. Things were moving along great when life, literally, blew me away. It took tremendous Spiritual inspiration and inspirational faith to help me in overcoming adversity like this.

If you’ve never worked near a grain elevator, it might not sound that dangerous or explosive. After all, what could be so risky about a bunch of corn and wheat lying around? As it turns out, quite a bit! You see, when the grain is moved, the grain dust that is generated becomes volatile when it’s heated and compressed. Grain dust is more explosive than dynamite and gasoline and approaches atomic energy based on the tremendous devastation caused by a grain dust explosion. Overcoming adversity like this can be an almost impossible task. The smallest spark can set off this Atomic bomb-like force that takes place in a grain dust explosion. And on April 7, 1981 that Friday afternoon at 3:10 PM CST in Corpus Christi, Texas, that’s exactly what happened.

As part of our inspection, we’d noted that the dust collection systems, meant to take the deadly mixture out of the air, weren’t working properly. The engineer was informed, but not overly concerned, as he said it would cost millions to repair and they could not justify the expense at the time. Overcoming adversity like this is not easy because it takes spiritual inspiration and inspirational faith the Lord will see you through this attitude regarding safety in the workplace, especially when you’re dealing with the attitude of corporate expenses. I have a tremendous passion for increased safety in the workplace that’s why I became a corporate safety speaker, business safety speaker, because I want to do everything I can to make sure no one has to endure the pain or be crippled for life or killed because of safety negligence. Not long after, I heard something that sounded like thunder, but felt like an earth quake. Everything was rattling, the ground was shaking and things were falling off shelves. In fractions of seconds the cracking and popping was so loud it seemed like it was going to split my head wide open.

I dug deep for my spiritual inspiration and inspirational faith and I believed that some way I could survive what was about to happen. I prayed for the spiritual faith to help me in overcoming adversity that was an incomprehensible force. It was overcoming an adversity like I had never seen or heard before, because those atomic like force grain dust explosions were headed right for us. The floor jumped a foot up and down beneath us. We all knew what that meant; there was no doubt what was happening. The explosions grew in intensity and as I looked out the window of the USDA building. I saw those grain elevator silos, each with a two-foot thick rebar and concrete wall, being blown apart like paper. I knew it would take all my spiritual inspiration and inspirational faith and a miracle from God to survive this. I turned to my supervisor, Albert Tripp, who met my gaze with a look of absolute terror. The blood drained from his face, and he seemed unable to speak. Before another breath could pass, the biggest and most powerful grain dust explosion imaginable caught us.

There were twelve grain dust explosions that ripped through the grain elevator that day at 1500 feet per second. When the biggest grain dust explosion came, the force hurled me right through the roof of the USDA office I’d been working in and completely destroyed it, leaving only the concrete foundation. I flew up about 300 feet in the sky, and over a two-story building, and finally landed in a concrete parking lot. When the paramedics arrived, they found my body broken over at my chest, my chest was crushed, and blood and cerebral spinal fluid oozing out of my nose, ears, and mouth. I could feel the live my soul slipping away out of my body.

Although I was breathing when the paramedics found me, my vital signs where so low that I wasn’t expected to make it. After three to four weeks, and several surgeries, I was comatose and all but gone. In fact, I can remember a conversation between my doctors and a nurse who had stopped in. She asked what my prognosis was. They replied that they had done all that they could, but that I was going to die. I can’t blame them for saying so. They didn’t think I could hear anything, and the odds were with them. Realistically, I shouldn’t have survived. God was there telling me to hang on to Never Give Up and I fought for life with every bit of whatever strength I had left and I never lost my faith in God that I would survive.
 

Ultimately, even though my physical injures didn’t kill me, the emotional trauma almost did. Depression and self-doubt took hold, dominating my thoughts and reducing me to a shell of my former self. I realized that my life was over. It wasn’t only my arms and legs that had been rendered immobile, but my motivational spirit had been lost in the blast as well.

 

Overcoming Adversity- The Comeback!

Well, things definitely got worse before they got better. I believe that God was there with me all along. Even through the toughest of times I kept my inspirational faith. Sometimes I almost forgot him, but I know he never forgot me and he had a special plan for my life. So, after spending almost a year in the hospital, I was in terrible shape- mentally and physically. On the day they removed my body cast, I caught a glimpse of myself and I looked like a nine-month pregnant woman. Worse yet, the accident hadn’t just transformed me. My wife, who I’d been married to for less than a year when the accident happened, turned into a completely different person. She said that when I got hurt and paralyzed in that explosion, that, I had ruined her life. I wasn’t sure how to respond, but it only drove a deeper cut into my psyche. As time went on, our relationship deteriorated until she was openly physically and verbally abusive.

Initially, I thought having money might make a difference. Joseph Jamail of Houston Texas, one of the top Personal Injury Attorneys in the world, had agreed to take on my case against the defendants of the grain dust explosion the Corpus Christi Public Grain Elevator and almost every company that had supplied them with parts bearings, grain dust collectors or grain fumigant to help the grain elevator run as efficiently as possible. As a result of the suit, I was awarded millions of dollars. It was a large sum of money, but a miserable trade for the use of my legs, normal use of my bladder, bowels, core balance, and the athletic life I’d loved. Still, I thought that the new wealth might ease my wife’s anger and save our marriage. I was wrong. While money could do a lot of things, it couldn’t make my legs move again, and it couldn’t bring back my wife’s love. Whatever feelings she’d had for me withered away along with my body in the months that I was in the hospital.

Eventually, our marriage ended in an incredibly messy divorce. The legal proceedings took many years and left me disillusioned and broke. It was then that I found out just how low a person can sink, and just how harsh the world can be. Not only was my wife willing to leave me injured and penniless, but I couldn’t even trust my own divorce lawyers, (whose names I won’t mention). Bankrupt and bottomed out, I felt like the world had finally defeated me.

I might never have recovered if it hadn’t been for the help of my Rugby coach and Rugby friends, Robert Hays and Bruce Acuna. We’d played together on the Corpus Christi rugby club before my accident, and they’d continued visiting me in the following days. Sensing that I needed a way to channel my hurt and frustrations in attempting to overcome adversity, they did the only thing they knew how to do – they took me to the gym. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to work out, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They drug me into the weight room and told me to start lifting and to Never Give Up! because “There’s Always a Way”. When I couldn’t do any more reps, they threw a medicine ball at me as hard as they could, taunting and daring me to return it with the same force. I started to remember what a big stress reliever exercise can be, and looked forward to longer, more vigorous workouts.

From those long afternoons in the gym, I learned two things. The first was that, over time, exercise and friendship would heal my body and soul in a way that money could not. The second was how critical it is in life that you surround yourself with people who build you up and with God all things are possible and without the jumpstart that my friends gave me, I don’t know what would have happened to me. When it comes to overcoming adversity, good friends on your side, no adversity to great for you to overcome! Just remember pray and listen for the word of God and Never loose faith and Never Give Up! because, There’s Always A Way!

My 1st Wheelchair Race – Peachtree 10K!

Once I’d started working out again, things just seemed to come together. What really gave me my first chance to compete against other wheelchair athletes is when my brother, Gerald, invited me to come and run The Peachtree 10K road race in Atlanta, GA.  It’s a big event that draws more than 50,000 runners and wheelchair athletes from around the world every 4th of July. My brother lived close by, and had seen wheelchair athletes on the course the year before. He thought I might like to give it a shot. This was my first chance since my accident to compete against other wheelchair athletes I didn’t know existed until now.

He was right, and I dropped everything and went to Atlanta and found a few surprises. First, I saw the other wheelchair racers with wheelchairs that looked more like drag race cars than wheelchairs. They all had special gloves for wheelchair racing. I didn’t even know how long the course was. At that time in America we were converting everything from yards or miles to meters, so I really didn’t have a good sense of the distance. Plus, I didn't really know anything about racing in a wheelchair at all. I’d competed in high school and college, but only on my feet. Racing on wheels was a whole new game, and I was totally unprepared. I brought the wrong kind of gloves, had no tape for my hands, and didn’t even have water! Basically, I went without any of the things that I’d consider to be essential for wheelchair racing today. My mind was ready set on overcoming adversity and whatever laid ahead of me out there on the race course.

Worst of all, though, was that I was planning to complete the Peachtree 10K road race course in an old, bulky, clumsy hospital chair. You know the kind – heavy and rigid, built more like a garbage truck than a speedster. When the other wheelchair athletes saw me, they would say “Hey, you’d better get into your racer it’s almost time to start.” This was the only chair I had, so I just gave them a blank stare and with my best John Wayne imitation I said slowly with a deep voice; “I’m (pause) in (pause) it!” They just laughed.

Finally, it was time to line up at the starting line at the Peachtree Road race in Atlanta,  Georgia which is the largest 10K road race in the world with over 50,000 runners and is packed on each side with cheering spectators. The experience was exhilarating. When the starting gun fired, I bore down on my old hospital chair and took off. I poured every ounce of effort into getting a strong start, pumping my arms so furiously that I thought the tires might leave smoke on the pavement. Driven on by the applause, I was overcoming adversity and I couldn’t believe how hard I was working, my head down and firing every bit of my intention into my speed. And then I looked up and noticed something. The other racers were gone. Long gone. But it didn’t matter, I was hooked. My first race in a wheelchair the Peachtree 10K road race in Atlanta, Georgia was exhilarating!

My hands were blistered by mile four. But their pain quickly became a secondary concern as I looked up at the next stretch of the course and saw a paved monster. A sign at the base, just off to my right, gave its name: Cardiac Hill. They weren’t kidding. The towering rise before me appeared to be a mile long at about a 45-degree angle, although reality might have rendered it less monstrous when measured in meters and not fear. I looked at my hands, and then at that hill again. A thought came to me so strongly that I uttered it out loud. “No, way! I can't make it.”

We all have our own cardiac hills at one time or another. It doesn’t matter if it’s in sports, business, or something in your personal life; the feeling is the same overcoming adversity that seems impossible to overcome. Something happens that makes you feel you can't get over it, that no effort will tame it. It’s only natural to have those feelings, but we can’t let those frustrations, adversities and obstacles we encounter in life keep us down. At those moments, we all need a little spark, some motivation, something to spur us on.

If you’re a Christian you can find that answer in the Bible or a local bible based church providing spiritual inspiration. It can come in the form of encouragement from a person, teammate, coworker, boss, supervisor, school teacher, college professor, friend or relative, or it can be something as simple as a motivational story in a book like this one, a conversation, or even a memory. It’s not important how the motivation reaches us that we use, only that we have something deep inside of us to call on for help. For me, on that day, it was something I heard there was some music coming from Cardiac Hill it was a song! It was the theme to Rocky!

When I hear that music, something comes over me. I feel like I'm the champion training for the big fight; it reminds me that we can overcome impossible odds. I saw Rocky in my mind beating the beef in the meat locker and breaking those ribs with his hands thinly wrapped the just the boxing gauze tape, and drinking a glass full of raw eggs and I thought if he can overcome adversity like that then I can get my old hospital wheelchair up this hill. I knew it was time to dig deep and never give up, because; There’s Always a Way if you Never Give Up! It was time to get to work on overcoming adversity no matter what kind you face.

The next few minutes were among the most agonizing of my life—and that’s saying a lot.  With my bare hands, bloody and peeling, I began to methodically push my wheelchair up Cardiac Hill, overcoming adversity inches at a time. I fought for each inch, winning them with a painful price. Overcoming adversity with each turn, the sweat and blood from the broken blisters caused my hands to slip and slide helplessly until I could dry them and try again. The muscles in my arms and back muscles that hadn't been used in years screamed in protest as I fought on, but I just bit through my lip in determination and pain. I felt like I might drown in the sweat and tears flowing down my face, but I couldn’t do anything about it. I was too afraid of losing precious ground to release my grip on the wheels.

The harder I pushed, the longer the hill seemed to get. The encouraging roar of the crowd lining the hill became like white noise, filling in the background. Life narrowed to a spear point with each single push of the wheels. I cried out audibly with each push. And when that motion was completed, I knew there had to be another painful, methodical, wrenching push on the wheelchair's slippery wheels to follow.

The pain stretched into a small eternity, until suddenly, the hill was no more.
Relief washed over me, and then joy. I had just cranked that old, bulky hospital wheelchair over the top! I had beaten Cardiac Hill! For the first time since my accident, I felt a sense of accomplishment and possibility, breaking barriers, overcoming adversity and transcending limitations. And it felt great! My career as a wheelchair athlete had begun. I could still hear the Rocky music that was playing on the side of cardiac hill, now louder now than ever. I felt indestructible, like I could overcome adversity no matter how tough. I only had a mile to go to the finish line, and most of it was downhill.
My elation was short lived though. The wheelchair event had begun thirty minutes before the regular race, and the Peachtree 10K road race in Atlanta, Georgia, like many road races of its day, had a rule: if a foot-runner passes a wheelchair athlete, then the wheelchair athlete must leave the course immediately. This guideline was there to protect everyone involved, but it was about to crush me.

At the very top of the hill, I had been passed by two of the top foot runners in the world: Craig Virgin from the USA and Kip Keno from Kenya. Unaware of the rule that was about to disqualify me, their appearance only served to excite me more. Here I was, a beginner wheelchair athlete pushing my wheelchair right alongside these Olympic Athletes, the world's greatest 10,000-meter runners! I was actually cheering them on when reality, in the form of a very large woman with a "Peachtree 10K Road Race Official" t-shirt, grabbed me by the shoulder. She took a hold of me and said, "You've got to get off the race course right now. You've been passed by a foot runner. That's the rule."
I considered this for a moment and then came to a conclusion: It might have been their rule, but it wasn’t my rule. I guess I didn’t hear the business safety speaker or corporate safety speaker at the beginning of the race telling us about the safety rule in place for the wheelchair racers. Barely turning to her, I yelled out, “No way, lady! I've come this far and I'm not stopping now!" With that, I pushed loose from her grip and started towards the finish line. I'd come too far to stop, and besides, I'd never quit on anything before in my life. I wasn't about to start now! 

I started pumping the heavy wheels of my old bulky wheelchair again, even harder than I had been before. That attitude that I had as former rugby player, football player and track & field athlete inside was coming back. The gap between the race official and me was widening. She would never catch me, not with my downhill momentum! A quick glance backward confirmed that she had stopped chasing me. I let out a small laugh as the thought came to me: Whose chair is too heavy now? Reality, however, wasn’t going to give up so easily. This was before the days when everyone had cell phones. Instead of pursuing me on foot, she used her walkie-talkie and got four more big ladies, race officials, that looked just like her! They all had the same grimacing faces and the same ubiquitous, official t-shirts. This time, they set up a human roadblock on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia that I couldn't get through or around. Overcoming this adversity proved too much for me in my out of shape condition.

I tried to fight them off, but the hospital issue wheelchair proved to be too much of an anchor to allow me to escape. I was starting to gain a new appreciation for the racing models and their many uses. When I finally tired of the struggle, those four big ladies physically removed me from the racecourse. It was more than a defeat, it was a humiliation. I could feel the stares of the spectators who lined the road around me. Some of them laughing; and even worse, some of them felt sorry for me.

Perhaps, being so new to racing and so unprepared, I should have expected the outcome, but I felt that somehow I should have been able to overcome diversity. It was a very heavy sadness, knowing that I had given it my all and still come up short. It just wasn’t that I didn’t finish, it was that they wouldn't let me. I'd poured my heart and soul out into the blacktop that day, but they didn't care. When I’d finished weeping, I wheeled myself onto a side street and just sat there. For hours, even long after the race had finished, I just stayed there, taking in the sting until a new feeling of inspirational faith dawned on me.

Upset as I was, I understood that something in me had changed on Cardiac Hill. By overcoming adversity and defeating the pain in my shoulders, my hands and lungs, I’d transformed self-pity into resolve. Spiritual inspiration filled me.  That moment brought with it another realization: I was dependant on other people for everything in my life. Even more than for help getting around or learning to move my body, I relied on my doctors, my therapists, my friends, and my family to tell me who I was and where I was going. I knew in that second that I needed to take control. That God had a plan for my life and nobody else could do it for me. If I was going to get anywhere in life, it was going to be up to me! It was time to take action.
I also set a goal that day: I never wanted anything like that to happen again. I vowed right then and there, that no one would ever pull me off the racecourse ever again. I wasn’t going to give anyone else the chance to control my destiny.

Since then, I’ve been very fortunate as a wheelchair athlete, winning Gold in World Championships, Paralympics medals in Seoul, Barcelona and Atlanta and earning the title of ‘the world’s greatest all around wheelchair athlete.’ Every one of those victories was special to me, but I feel like they all trace back to that moment at the Peachtree 10k in Atlanta. It taught me something about life that I try to share with others as a motivational coach, inspirational speaker, school speaker, college speaker, corporate speaker, business safety speaker, and Paralympic speaker.  My hill isn’t that different from the ones that we all see every day, but we can’t surrender. Obstacles, whether people or objects, can always be overcome and with God’s help all things are possible. There is ALWAYS A WAY when you don't compromise the standards you set for yourself and NEVER GIVE UP!

 

Born on the 4th of July

What a great experience it was. The opportunity came about when I was at the Nautilus Track & Field meet back in the late 80's where the top wheelchair athletes in America came to sharpen their competitive skills against one another before the Paralympics in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. The film crew was onsite looking for wheelchair athletes and actors. I was working out on the UTA track in Arlington Texas, when a fellow walked up to me and asked me if I'd like to take a screen test to be in a movie with Tom Cruise. Well, that wasn’t a tough question for me, so I immediately told him, “Sure!”

Later that afternoon, they took me in for a screen test, which is basically an audition where they have you tell a story into the camera, so that you can be reviewed later by the director. I wasn’t sure what I should talk about, but I wanted them to get a sense of my excitement, so I told them that they should make a movie about an action hero in a wheelchair. I explained how he would be tough and get into scrapes with bad guys, lots of action, and ultimately catch them. Then I acted out the chase scene as I imagined it, getting into character and giving some dialogue along the way. I didn’t know if anything would come of it, but I figured I was going to at least have a good time and give them an idea for a picture that I’d like to see. So I decided to go for it and never give up because there’s always a way!

With an upcoming competition to focus on, I didn’t give the whole thing much more thought until Oliver Stone called me later that week. Talking with big-time Hollywood directors was a bit new for me, but he immediately put me at ease and said that he wanted to use me for his picture. I couldn’t believe my good luck and how the Lord was blessing me after this horrible accident and all the bad things that had happened to me. I guess it’s better to be like Job (the oldest book in the bible) who keeps praising and giving thanks to God even though he loses almost everything. And lo & behold even better, a couple of days into shooting, he gave me a few lines in the movie. I was going to be a principle actor in a major motion picture!

My first day on the set I met Tom Cruise, who I’d be shooting a few scenes with. He must have done his homework, because he walked up and asked me, "Are you the world champion wheelchair athlete who won the medal in the Olympic stadium in Seoul?” It was a surreal moment, having a movie star recognize me. But then, before I could really take it in, things got weirder – he actually asked me for my autographed picture! I pulled one from my bag and signed it, “To Tom, GO FOR IT 110%! Kevin Saunders” which was my saying at the time.

After I handed it over, I asked if he’d be willing to give me one in return. On Tom’s photo, he wrote back, "Kevin, GO FOR IT 200%! Tom Cruise,” because, he said, that was his saying and how he lived life.

He went on to tell me that when he was in high school he had always wanted to be a great athlete. That was his dream, but he never quite made it to that level in sports. So when the opportunity to succeed in acting came, he decided to put everything he had into it. The role was for a film called Taps, and he has turned that break into dozens of others.

Many people, having reached that point in their careers, might have started to take it easy. But I saw firsthand every day how hard he worked to keep his career in an upward trajectory. He was a world champion when it came to acting & no matter the obstacle he would never give up! He simply refuses to let anyone else decide his destiny, and so he keeps his own momentum rolling. I truly believe that through the years he’s continued to have professional success because he is willing and able to challenge his own mind, body, and spirit to “GO FOR IT 200%!” because when you never work harder and smarter than your competition and never give up, there’s always a way!

"Kevin Saunders was an inspiration to us all on the set. He seemed to be a man without limits, a man who gets out there and goes for the gold every time. He is the incarnation of the "Just Do It" principal. Additionally, he is a man of great compassion and empathy for the suffering of others, and as such, transcends the athlete syndrome to become a man of the world and a man of conscience"
— Oliver Stone, Academy Award Winning Film Director

1st Paralympian appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness

The whole thing came so unexpectedly, but it’s been one of the high points of my career. Senator Bob Dole – the World War II hero and Presidential candidate in the 1996 election– is from Russell, Kansas, which is about 50 miles from where I grew up in Downs, Kansas. As I won more and more medals in competitions around the world and became a world champion wheelchair athlete I started to get a lot of attention from the media. At first, it was just small snippets in newspapers and magazines, until those grew to television interviews and feature stories. I guess Senator Dole read about me in one of them, because his office called me and said that they were proud of what I was doing as a citizen of Kansas, and that I should come on out to Washington to meet with him and the President of the United States. They only gave me 24 hours notice, but I certainly wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to meet the leader of the Free World. So, I gathered a few of my medals and a good suit and headed to the nation’s capital.

When I arrived the next day, I was a little nervous. No matter how you think about it, the White House is a long way from Downs, Kansas, and I didn’t really know what I was supposed to do or say. I was trying to think of something that would make me sound like I wasn’t out of my league, when I was ushered into the Oval Office by Secret Service men. From there, it all happened so quickly. Suddenly, there I was, looking President Bush and Senator Dole right in the eyes. The President came out from behind his desk and said, “Kevin, I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re such an inspiration and it’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

I shook his hand and replied, “Well, it's a true honor to meet you, Mr. President. I thank you for signing the Americans with Disabilities Act. On behalf of myself and the millions of disabled Americans that you’ve empowered throughout the United States, I would like to present you with this gold medal that I won while competing as a Paralympics wheelchair athlete at the World Track & Field Championships in Europe.”  At first, he said that he couldn’t accept it. He didn’t want to take the medal that I’d earned, but I told him I would be honored if he would accept it and that I knew he would do the same for me. Finally, he relented. Then after our impromptu medal ceremony, I saw him looking at my arms. I’d always had a large physique, and now my muscles were stronger and better defined than ever before from years of wheelchair competition. The President noticed, and said something that changed my life. “You know, you look like you’re built-up like Arnold Schwarzenegger.  We need to get you and Arnold together on the President’s Council for Physical Fitness & Sports.” He turned to Senator Dole and said, “Let's get Kevin on there.”
If you aren’t familiar with it, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports – PCPFS - is an advisory committee of volunteer citizens who directly advise the President, as well as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Through its programs and partnerships with the public, private and non-profit sectors, the council promotes health, physical fitness, activity, and enjoyment for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities through participation in physical activity and sports. The 20 council members are appointed by the President. This is a unique council in the sense that it reports directly to the President of the United States.
To be appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness by the President was a huge honor for anyone. At the time, the other members were all famous athletes, Olympic athletes, world champions, or extremely wealthy people who were connected to the fitness or sports industries. To serve alongside them was like a dream come true. For once, even though I was a motivational coach and inspirational speaker I was actually speechless.  Finally, I answered, “It would be an honor to serve you and my country in that capacity, Mr. President.” The next thing I knew, I was being sworn-in as one of the 20 President’s Council on Physical Fitness members from across the U.S., and I soon found myself working alongside then-Chairman, Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was truly an extraordinary opportunity and I wanted to do my very best for my country and our Commander and Chief.

 

Success & Chairman “The Terminator” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
 

Arnold and I established a life-long friendship.  It was easy to see why his is one of the great American success stories. It’s hard for me to imagine that someone with his passion and intelligence wouldn’t rise to the top. Time and time again, I saw his dedication on display through long hours of work and personal sacrifice. I remember once, during our time working together, he hired a private jet – at his own cost – so that we could take our message of health and fitness personally to each of the fifty states.
The other thing that really impressed me was his attention to detail. There seemed to be no small fact or concern that could escape his attention. For instance, I came upon an authentic Austrian hiking hat once. I thought, given Arnold’s well-known heritage that it might make a good gift for him, so I got a real one from Austria, along with some pins to stick in the top of the hat – Austrian pins on one side, Bush/Quayle pins on the other. When I presented it to him, he seemed pleased and thankful.

After many years had passed, I had the opportunity to visit him in Santa Monica. Off the side of his office, he had a room that duplicated a small, quaint Austrian home. I noticed how neatly everything was tucked into place, when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. There, sitting on a shelf, was the Austrian hiking hat I’d given him so long ago. I had completely forgotten about it, but was impressed to see that every pin was still on it and it looked even better than when I’d presented it to him well over a decade before. Now, that’s a man with tremendous character and class - one who cares not only about himself, his family, community, state and country, but also the little things most of us take for granted. Without a doubt, the Governor is and will continue to be one of the greatest Success Stories of our time. It was a great honor to serve with him on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports.

 

Incredible Charisma President Bill Clinton - PCPFS

When the new administration was elected, I was honored to be the only person reappointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports by President Clinton to serve again on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, where I remained for both terms of his presidency. I found him to be not only a bright, charismatic leader, but also a warm and friendly person. Moreover, he believed in our goals. He said he wanted each American to have more dedication to their families, themselves, their communities, and their country. Along with this, the President also impressed upon me what he expected from each member of The President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports, and what a tremendous responsibility it was. He offered this as an encouragement, rather than a challenge. He communicated his faith in my ability to go above and beyond the call of duty to find a way to get the job done the right way. I’m proud to say that under his leadership, we continued to make progress on fitness as a public issue, working with the Surgeon General to help establish the warning label that states “The lack of physical activity may be hazardous to your health.” 

The appointment to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness came out of nowhere, but ended up being one of the big springboards in my life as a motivational speaker and coach, inspirational speaker, college speaker, business speaker, inspirational coach, corporate speaker, business safety speaker, corporate safety speaker, church speaker, and an expert on overcoming diversity. It gave me the opportunity to talk to thousands of schools, organizations, groups and sports teams like football teams, basketball teams, track & field and rugby teams around the country that I might not have been able to without it.  Being a motivational speaker and coach, church speaker, college speaker, corporate speaker, inspirational speaker, and safety speaker is something l love doing and it is a huge part of what I do now.

Motivational speaking – Success Story!

That’s easy! It’s having the opportunity through motivational speaking to share my story with people of all ages and motivate them to reach for higher and greater goals than ever before. Maybe the only thing that’s better than winning a gold medal is watching someone that you’ve helped transcend their current limitations and reach for new levels of excellence.  It’s inspirational and very satisfying for any motivational coach or speaker.
For more than twenty years, I’ve had the chance to speak to junior and high schools, colleges, corporations, and churches around the country as a motivational speaker. Some of the groups exceed 10,000 people, other times it’s just a small group. As a motivational speaker, it doesn’t really matter to me how many are there. Each time, it’s a great gift and a humbling honor.

 

The Inspiration to Speak!

Kevin & 96' Presidential candidate Senator Bob Dole

Head Football Coach University of Oklahoma, Bob Stoops & Kevin

Head Football Coach of Kansas State University, Bill Snyder & Kevin

Well, I suppose the first reason is the impact that similar people had on my life. After my accident I took in some great motivational speakers’ books and tapes. From reading the works of motivational speakers like Anthony Robbins, Bob Richards, Denis Waitley and Lou Holtz, and my own coaches like Bill Snyder and Bob Stoops, I started to appreciate that my situation wasn’t the end of the world, and that I just needed to deal with my life in the best way that I could.

Going to church was another big help. It was there that I gained spiritual inspiration from the writings of King Solomon in the Bible, and especially the scripture that touched my soul: “Do not say, “why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you say this.” This passage really spoke to me, like it was a wake-up call of spiritual inspiration from God himself. It made me realize that I needed to get over the past and start living for the future. Then I found out when we start living out the unique plan that God has for each of us, we can have a successful and meaningful life.  By setting our goals and making a plan and taking steps to reach our goals by constant and never ending improvement, we can make it.

Like a lot of paraplegics, I had fallen into the trap of feeling sorry for myself. Dreaming of the past would allow me to escape the painful reality of the present. So my mind was constantly drifting back to those days when I could walk, run, and play sports. With God’s help, I finally recognized that constantly focusing on the past and what I used to be able to do would leave me with little or no opportunities for the present. So I got focused on the present and my goals, and made a plan to realize those goals.

The second reason I became a motivational speaker is that my story seemed to resonate with people. As I had some success early on as a wheelchair athlete, people started taking an interest in my story and they wanted to know how I’d turned things around. When I told them that I’d gotten to where I was through faith, hard work, and focus they started inviting me to speak to schools, sports teams, churches, and many other groups. Things just took-off from there and before I knew it, I was a motivational speaker presenting to major corporations and government agencies.

Like I said, I don’t know if there’s anything better than helping others by sharing my, as well as other successful people’s experiences so that a person can use those examples and turn them into their own successes.

Tony Robbins top motivational speaker & Kevin

 

Kevin Saunders is Currently...

Currently, Kevin Saunders is focusing his speaking more towards motivating athletes in sports especially football in colleges D-1 Universities and Professional teams as well.
Kevin will still be traveling with his wife, Dora and Agent – Stephen Saunders around the world with a compelling message of motivation and hope designed to help people break through barriers, transcend limitations, and reach new heights of achievement. He is an in-demand speaker for schools, associations, corporations, and other organizations. No matter what the group, he shares the motto that pulled him through his own darkest days: “There’s Always a Way when you Never Give Up!”
Saunders has penned a book called “There’s Always a Way” which recounts the story of his amazing life. More than a simple motivational volume, the book is a call for change in the American political and social consciousness. It also provides practical encouragement for anyone who faces overwhelming challenges. “You can forge a new path to success,” Kevin writes. “Don’t ever give up. There’s a way to realize your long-cherished dreams.”
Ask Kevin how he accomplished any of these things, and he'll tell you the secret to his success - To never lose your faith in God and Never Give Up! That's the message he's delivered to more than 5,000 groups around the world, including more than 1,000 schools, and it's one he'd love to share with your audience.

What are your plans for the future?

To speak more to sports teams all across America and around the world to share what helped me become the best in the world as a wheelchair athlete and also share what I learned working with Head Coach Bill Snyder, Bob Stoops OU, Jim Leavitt USF and many more and how to build a solid winning & unbeatable foundation in team sports.
I was really struck by the contrasts of what I saw in Europe and what I found pushing my way through this country. One big difference was that in America, it’s hard to find fresh food when we’re on the go. A quick trip to the supermarkets shows that they’re aptly named: Super for the fact that they are way bigger than they need to be, and Market because they care more about marketing than food. Part of our job on both trips was to share tools and resources that would help the community and city leaders set-up programs that would help teach people how to correctly read food labels and recognize that words on the products are only there to sell something, not to tell the shopper what’s in the product.
There’s still a lot of work to be done in that area, and I’d like to devote some of my energy into bringing what I know to all Americans. Other than that, my mission is to keep doing what I’ve been doing for two decades – showing people that if they Never Give Up, anything is possible!

Kevin's Philosophy

Kevin's success has come to him because he believes in two simple things: that with God all things are possible and that you can never give up, that you always need to be reaching for something just a little bit bigger and better than you ever dreamed. Whether you've been in an accident or won the lottery, the choice is the same. You can either wake up each morning and keep pushing against your own fear and limitations, or you can choose to have faith that God will guide you as you fight through whatever is holding you back. Like Kevin says: "Pain builds courage! You can't be strong, brave or a winner if only good things happen to you, You have to go through the tough times and obstacles to find out what your really capable of." The choice is always yours, and no one can make it for you ...

Kevin As A Speaker

Kevin speaking to schools & at college Lecture Series

Kevin's road to public speaking has been something of a happy accident. Not long after he started winning tournaments and events, the media began to catch on. As one article after another profiled his starting from surviving an explosion that left 10 coworkers dead, completely destroyed the building he was working in leaving nothing but the concrete foundation. The blast hurled Kevin 300 feet over a 2-story building and he landed in a concrete parking lot. He spent almost a year in the hospital and three years later he was one of the top wheelchair athletes in America. With this big turn around in his life, then groups began to approach him in the hopes that he'd make a few remarks about how he was able to make such a turnaround with his life.

At first, he wasn't sure if he wanted to try it. But, having been persuaded to give it a shot, Kevin found that inspiring others to reach their goals felt just as good as winning a race did. From those first few talks, word got out about his incredible story, nonstop energy, and genuine enthusiasm to share the secrets of his success. Soon, more and more offers arrived, along with calls and letters from the attendees whose lives he'd touched and changed.

Today, Kevin is one of the most sought after speakers in the industry. He maintains a vigorous travel schedule, appearing for corporate groups, associations, schools and universities throughout North America and the world. Sharing his story, as well as the attitude that's allowed him to live, rather than just survive, brings him more joy than any other achievement in his life. By encouraging others to Never Give Up - be it in the office, on the field, or in the classroom - he gets to share the principle that's given him so much.

Booking Kevin

If you're interested in having Kevin come and speak to your school or organization, simply call or email us at:

Saunders and Associates

Kevin Saunders
Motivational Speaker / Author
For bookings contact Dora Ortiz at Saunders & Associates
At info@KevinSaunders.com
Or Mail to Attention: Dora Ortiz Manager or Stephen Saunders Agent
Saunders & Associates
320 Jackson Hill Ste. 164
Houston, Texas 77007
PH: 713-686-0077
Cell: 713-449-4578
Or
Saunders & Associates
403 Delaware St.
Downs, Kansas 67437

Kevin's Crusade For Nutrition And Fitness

After serving under two Presidents on the Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Kevin realized that the health and obesity crisis in America still needed support. So, in order to raise awareness, he decided to do what he does best - push forward.

Wheeling his way through America's heartland, one grueling mile after another, Kevin traveled from our northern border down to the Rio Grande. Meeting with the media, local officials, and concerned residents at every stop, Kevin spent months educating families about healthy shopping choices, exercise advice, and motivational tips. Then, he continued his journey across Europe, serving as an Ambassador for Fitness.

He believes that a key to America's strength is its health, and still works with communities and government groups to establish programs that encourage greater awareness of nutrition and exercise. His upcoming book, Revolutions, is devoted to this cause, which is near and personal to his heart.