What Inspires You Wednesday

Perseverance

This is what inspires me. People who, in the face of unbelievable challenges and even tragedies,  don't give up. And the not only 'don't give up', they face the challenges head on and tackle them one at a time and persevere.

Lately, I'm incredibly inspired watching the journey of Celeste Cocoran, one of the Boston Marathon bombing survivors who lost both of her legs like Jeff Bauman. Celeste's daughter Sydney, a high school senior at the time, was also very seriously injured when her femoral artery was severed by the bomb.  Sydney, had it not been for the quick thinking of a bystander, surely would have died on the scene.

Celeste has been working so hard to adjust to her new life with two prosthetic limbs- practicing getting up, standing, walking, driving and so much more. If you've seen any interviews with Celeste you'll know that she's the first to admit that she has her good days when she's focused on recovery, and bad days when it's all just too much.

Despite the bad days, Celeste continues to move forward. This week she was fitted for a new set of prosthetic legs and she not only was up and walking on them immediately doing laps around the physical therapy room, by the next day she even climbed the rock wall there.

What? Are you serious? I wouldn't even be able to do that with my perfectly functioning legs.

Celeste, and the other survivors, are truly the definition of perseverance.

I wish I could have found the video of the rock wall climb to share, but it only seems to be available on Celeste and Sydney's facebook support page.  If you're on facebook, you can view it here.

Post by Celeste & Sydney Corcoran Support Page.


This video is of Celeste a few months ago when she was driving a car again for the first time since the bombings.



Celeste is also easing her way back to work as a hairdresser.  Nothing is going to stop this woman.

Her strength is amazing.

Celeste is, quite simply, undeniably inspiring.

Make it a great day, and I'll do the same here.