Butterflies of Wisdom is a podcast where we want to share your story. We want to share your wisdom if you have a small business if you are an author or a Doctor, or whatever you are. With a disability or not, we want to share your story to inspire others. To learn more about Butterflies of Wisdom visit http://butterfliesofwisdom.weebly.com/ Be sure to FOLLOW this programhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wins-women-of-wisdom/id1060801905. To find out how Win walk and about Ekso go to http://www.bridgingbionics.org/, or email Amanda Boxtel at[email protected].

 

On Butterflies of Wisdom today, Best-Selling Author, Win C welcomes Juan Carlos Gil. Juan was born November 16, 1981, in the city of Medellin, Colombia. In 1986, Juan moved to Miami Florida.  When Juan arrived in America, he was only five years old, and he did not speak one word of English.  Juan was born prematurely and as a result, have two disabilities. Juan is legally blind and has Cerebral Palsy.  Juan had to have numerous surgeries on his eyes and legs.  Juan’s family and he moved to Miami, so Juan was able to receive better health care and education. While Juan was in elementary school, in 1991, his P.E. teacher told him about wheelchair racing.  That winter, Juan started his first wheelchair competition in the Orange Ball Sports Ability Games that was hosted by Miami Day Public School System.  At these games, Juan started wheelchair racing in an everyday wheelchair or hospital chair. Many countries that came to the game saw that Juan had the determination and potential to be an active wheelchair racer.  For example, the Canadian and the Israeli Para-Olympic coaches invited Juan to race for their countries.  At this time, Juan was only ten years old!  Juan had to decline their offer because he was still in school. Juan continued to race until he went to high school and the Florida School awarded him a grant for the Deaf and Blind that allowed me to obtain a push-rim racing chair.  This gave me the ability to race around the nation which made him triumphal. In 2001, Juan had the opportunity to go to the junior national sport ability games. Juan was one of over five-hundred athletes that went to New Jersey for three weeks. This was during the summer, and we went there for various track and field events. Juan was the only athlete that came who was visually impaired. Overall, Juan came in third place for his races. Juan’s determination and tenacity have helped he progress to successfully coming in second place for his races even though Juan wanted to be in first place. Four years after Juan graduated from high-school, Mary Bryant approached him while Juan was doing his first marathon in Miami in the push-rim that was given to him while Juan was in high school. Juan was on the first bridge in the Miami marathon when Mary Bryant approached him and asked him if Juan would consider handcycle was racing the year after with Achilles International Track Club. Juan wanted to give it a try so Juan took the offer and told her that he would. In 2007, Juan was doing the Avis North American racing tour when Achilles gave him a hand cycle.  With this hand cycle, Juan has done many marathons and bike races across the country as the only legally blind person, like the M.S. 150 (Multiple Sclerosis 150-mile bike ride.) and the A1A marathon. In 2008, Juan was awarded Avis’ We Try Harder Award. In February of 2008, Juan participated in the A1A marathon, and he came in second place. When Juan did the A1A marathon, he saw the beauty of what Fort Lauderdale has to offer with its pristine beach front. Juan’s goal in A1A was to finish in one hour and forty-five min

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