”I Fell 11 Stories and Should be Dead” | Walking Paraplegic

What happens when your paragliding wing folds in half 165 feet in the air, sending you on an 11-story plunge directly onto your ass? (Spoiler: You wake up and start a career in musical theater.) Most people’s worst nightmare involves falling out of the sky. For CJ, that nightmare became a violent reality. On a "big air" day in Pemberton, BC, CJ’s paragliding shute collapsed, and he fell 165 feet shattering nearly his entire lower spine, blowing out his sternum, and becoming a walking paraplegic. In this raw and hilarious conversation, CJ breaks down the "snowflake" of unique injuries that come with spinal cord damage. From the itchy feet you can’t reach to the Costco-sized quantities of lube and the absolute horror of a Senna overdose. But CJ didn’t grieve the "old CJ." Instead, he leaned into the discomfort, started saying "yes" to everything, and pivoted from managing risk to playing Rumpelstiltskin. This is a masterclass in radical gratitude, and the absurdity of the human body!

Check out CJ's TV project here: https://socializedmedicine.tv

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