emike
1
special needs Vol. 3, Issue 1 p29 p28 special needs Vol. 3, Issue 1 If you look hard enough, theres no lack of success stories where disabled men and women have become successful in business or in other goals, sometimes despite considerable difficulties. But there arent many quite as spectacular as Extreme Mike. Wheelchair-bound by childhood muscle afflictions, Extreme Mike - known to his mother as Michael McKeller - underwent physical therapy in order to regain the ability to do the things most people take for granted. Like most people these days, he works in computers, drives a car, and runs his own web site extrememike.com. However, unlike Mike, most of us havent engaged in a spot of scuba diving or shark fishing. Even fewer have gone on to turn a series of seemingly against-the-odds adventures into a set of commercially- available videos. Less still see themselves being nominated for and winning an Emmy, American televisions Oscars. Perhaps whats engaging about Mikes evolution from a young child suffering from a barely understood medical condition - Spinal Muscular Atrophy - to the Extreme Mike of today - is that it testifies to the ability to achieve despite apparently overwhelming odds. That Mikes current success arises from tragedy need hardly be said. Despite making the necessary adjustments as a young child to cope with his disability, he found himself set back even further at the age of fifteen by an injury sustained during surgery which left him unable to move his arms or legs. His Emmy-nominated video series is remarkable in itself, and would have made for a considerable achievement even in a more able-bodied person. Jump out of a plane at 13,000 feet? Sail through shark-infested waters? All after having lost the use of your limbs? You must be joking. Unless, of course, your name is Extreme Mike. Special Needs heeds the call to adventure ... The first video, Episode One, sees Mike hurling himself out of a plane from thirteen and a half thousand feet above the earth, and falling at a rate of approximately one hundred and twenty miles an hour.The series is not, as yet, complete; future episodes will see Mike scuba diving as part of a series of planned expeditions. Each video shows not only the actual act of leaping/diving/etc, but the process of planning and preparation leading up to a final, cumulative act. First comes the step-by-step research and weighing of risk, followed by the death-defying climax. How about scuba diving off the coast of Cozumel, or ultra- light flying over shark-infested waters? Extreme Mikes been there. Or flying loops in a stunt plane? Done that. Up and coming expeditions include land sailing, rappelling, hanggliding, snow and water skiing, race car driving, and rock climbing, all performed, naturally, in a variety of exotic world locations. After the damage he suffered through surgery, Mike went on to graduate from college, becoming a financial planner. Several years were spent as an entrepreneur, in both telemarketing and the printing industry before the Extreme Mike concept came fully into being.When hes not falling from great heights or baiting carnivorous sharks, hes to be found enjoying life as a public speaker. His life, he says, is lived by overcoming fear; by quite literally staring the unknown in the face, and getting other people involved. As a result, hes had experiences which, for the majority of us, are confined to the television screen. Partly, he believes, people are held back by their own fears, but his stated method is to break goals down into smaller chunks, and deal with each of these in turn. It all came about thanks to a moment of catharsis, and a dream of learning to scuba dive; a childhood dream, which, from the perspective of a wheelchair, he seemed unlikely ever to fulfil. However, he substituted a remarkable gritty determination for the fear of failure the majority of us might quite understandably suffer and enrolled in dive class. A remarkable decision, considering certification had never been given to someone who literally was unable to swim. It is now five years since Mike received his scuba diving certification. Perhaps, in part, his successes are due to coming from a family of high- achievers. Once my family realized I was committed to do something, they were 100 percent behind me, he has said. "Some people don't see the correlation between actions and outcome. I learned very young that the benefit almost always outweighs the cost of getting there." You can order Mikes videos direct through his website at www.extrememike.com. "Some people don't see the correlation between actions and outcome. I learned very young that the benefit almost always outweighs the cost of getting there." specialneeds_november2001.qxd 10/9/02 3:08 PM Page 28
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Transcript of emike
special needs Vol. 3, Issue 1 p29p28 special needs Vol. 3, Issue 1
If you look hard enough,there�s no lack of successstories where disabled menand women have becomesuccessful in business or inother goals, sometimes despiteconsiderable difficulties. Butthere aren�t many quite asspectacular as Extreme Mike.Wheelchair-bound bychildhood muscle afflictions,Extreme Mike - known to hismother as Michael McKeller -underwent physical therapy inorder to regain the ability todo the things most peopletake for granted.Like most people thesedays, he works in computers,drives a car, and runs his ownweb site extrememike.com.However, unlike Mike, most ofus haven�t engaged in a spot ofscuba diving or shark fishing.Even fewer have gone on toturn a series of seeminglyagainst-the-odds adventuresinto a set of commercially-available videos. Less still see
themselves being nominatedfor and winning an Emmy,American television�s Oscars.Perhaps what�s engagingabout Mike�s evolution from ayoung child suffering from abarely understood medicalcondition - Spinal MuscularAtrophy - to the ExtremeMike of today - is that ittestifies to the ability toachieve despite apparentlyoverwhelming odds.That Mike�s current successarises from tragedy needhardly be said. Despite makingthe necessary adjustments as ayoung child to cope with hisdisability, he found himself setback even further at the age offifteen by an injury sustainedduring surgery which left himunable to move his arms orlegs.His Emmy-nominated videoseries is remarkable in itself,and would have made for aconsiderable achievement evenin a more able-bodied person.
Jump out of a plane at 13,000 feet? Sail throughshark-infested waters? All after having lost the useof your limbs? You must be joking. Unless, ofcourse, your name is Extreme Mike. Special Needsheeds the call to adventure ...
The first video, Episode One,sees Mike hurling himself outof a plane from thirteen and ahalf thousand feet above theearth, and falling at a rate ofapproximately one hundredand twenty miles an hour.Theseries is not, as yet, complete;future episodes will see Mikescuba diving as part of a seriesof planned expeditions. Eachvideo shows not only theactual act of leaping/diving/etc,but the process of planningand preparation leading up toa final, cumulative act. Firstcomes the step-by-stepresearch and weighing of risk,followed by the death-defyingclimax.
How about scuba diving offthe coast of Cozumel, or ultra-light flying over shark-infestedwaters? Extreme Mike�s beenthere. Or flying loops in astunt plane? Done that. Up andcoming expeditions includeland sailing, rappelling,hanggliding, snow and waterskiing, race car driving, androck climbing, all performed,naturally, in a variety of exoticworld locations.After the damage hesuffered through surgery, Mikewent on to graduate fromcollege, becoming a financialplanner. Several years werespent as an entrepreneur, inboth telemarketing and the
printing industry before theExtreme Mike concept camefully into being.When he�s notfalling from great heights orbaiting carnivorous sharks, he�sto be found enjoying life as apublic speaker. His life, he says,is lived by overcoming fear; byquite literally staring theunknown in the face, andgetting other people involved.As a result, he�s hadexperiences which, for themajority of us, are confined tothe television screen.Partly, he believes, peopleare held back by their ownfears, but his stated method isto break goals down intosmaller chunks, and deal with
each of these in turn.It all came about thanks toa moment of catharsis, and adream of learning to scubadive; a childhood dream,
which, from the perspective ofa wheelchair, he seemedunlikely ever to fulfil. However,he substituted a remarkablegritty determination for thefear of failure the majority ofus might quite understandably
suffer and enrolled in diveclass.A remarkable decision,considering certification hadnever been given to someonewho literally was unable toswim.It is now five years since
Mike received his scuba divingcertification. Perhaps, in part,his successes are due tocoming from a family of high-achievers.�Once my family realized Iwas committed to do
something, they were 100percent behind me,� he hassaid. "Some people don't seethe correlation betweenactions and outcome. I learnedvery young that the benefitalmost always outweighs the
cost of getting there."You can order Mike�s videosdirect through his website atwww.extrememike.com.
"Some people don't see the correlationbetween actions and outcome. I learnedvery young that the benefit almost alwaysoutweighs the cost of getting there."
specialneeds_november2001.qxd 10/9/02 3:08 PM Page 28
