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Minnesota man turns tragedy into triumph
Posted by
JLoTuesday, January 10, 2012
Some people face a tragedy in their lives and never want to revisit it again. 26-year-old Joe Stone, decided to do just the opposite. Living with a C7 level spinal cord injury from a 300 feet paragliding/speedflying accident in August 2010, Stone proved doctor's predictions wrong when he regained some use of his hands.
So when he first tested out his new handcycle, he decided he would return to the place where he was paralyzed on the one-year anniversary of his crash.
“I don’t know if I necessarily believe everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Everything happens. It opens up opportunities, and it’s how you take advantage of those opportunities.”
With his girlfriend, Amy Rosendahl, at his side, and documentary cameras at his back, Joe began a nearly 80-mile ride through Glacier National Park.
On an uphill climb, he left his disability below, and using only his arms, the man who dreamed of flying soared across the top of a summit.
“I have never felt that feeling of achievement,” he said.
But that isn’t the entire story. His journey also ended with a new memory.
“I proposed to [my girlfriend],” Stone said. “I did get paralyzed there, I did have a bad accident, but I did get engaged there.”
Read the rest of Stone's story and watch the video!
(Insert the 'awws' here!)
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