This is an amazing documentary, everyone should watch, NOW. Talk about the power of the mind. True grit and willpower… And LOVE. 

This is Grant Korgan’s story … In a nut shell – he is an adventure athlete that suffers a life alerting spinal cord injury but pushes himself to “ski” the South Pole. Very cool. 

Im not posting this to share a cool movie I saw, I am sharing this for all my caregiving friends. Grant said something during an interview that spun me. Literally spun me. 

Grant was being interviewed and sharing what he was thinking right after his accident. I am paraphrasing here –  He said he felt so bad for his wife. What had he done? He had broken her husband. He had changed their life together. The life they had and he had promised her was cut. He was no longer able to do what they had always done. Everything was different now. HE WAS BROKEN. 

WOW! As these words came out of his mouth tears welled in my eyes. I hit rewind and watched it again, taking it all in and feeling the words as he was saying them. Realizing that Duane felt this way. His frustrations and sadness were made from feeling broken. From feeling like he couldn’t give me the life he always had. (And we did have an amazing life!)  I had never, ever considered Duane could feel this way. I never thought of Duane as broken, never thought about our adventures being curtailed. Never thought our life wasn’t amazing. 

Grant Korgan gave me insight into what Duane was thinking and feeling. The fear he felt when he was diagnosed with ALS. The feeling of being broken, of not being whole, of not being enough.

I’m crushed and heartbroken for Duane. I feel so horrible that he thought this way, that he thought he was broken and that he was “disappointing me”. I hate that he felt like he wasn’t enough. I loved him, still love him and to this day don’t think he was broken. He was an amazing human. 

I wish I had the sense to even consider this thought – I don’t know what I would have done or said but … I don’t know but I hate knowing he felt this way. 

Love your people! Life can change in an instant!

– xoxo Victoria

P.S. They live in Reno and there are so many beautiful shots of Lake Tahoe and Reno – I was filled with wonderful memories of skiing with Duane and our life in that magical place.

P.P.S. Here is his wife, Shawna’s Ted talk – she’s amazing!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jl51nmLY5k

P.P.P.S. If you tell me Duane didn’t fell this way – you didn’t know him.