No excuses: the prism of life of Kevin Michael Connolly

"What happened to you?" - most frequently asked Kevin Michael Connolly question. People too wonder why this beautiful, strong young man has no legs. Although it would be better, they asked, "Where are you come from ?!", because Kevin - athlete, photographer, writer, and in his early thirty traveled almost the entire globe.

Exclamation point

Kevin "took" from the small town of Helena (Montana, United States). There, he was born on August 18, 1985, in a poor American family is going through at the moment is not the best of times.

When Kevin's mother - Maria - was four months pregnant, her sister died, leaving four children. Mary wanted to take his nephews custody, therefore, from the perinatal center hurried to the court, decides how many children will bring this woman - one or five.

Almost simultaneously with this family Connolly suffered a new problem - the parents of Mary was diagnosed with cancer. Hold on and not get crazy it just helped to pregnancy - she and her husband really wanted a baby.

"Kevin was the birth of an exclamation point in a series of hard events of recent years" - admitted Mary years later. "According to those doctors I knew immediately - that something is wrong. So I asked if everything was all right? ". Doctors said that the boy had a sporadic congenital defect, that is, no legs.

Why? How is this possible? Is Stress has done his job? These are the questions doctors dumbfounded parents Kevin and did not answer.

Maria and her husband, Brian took his son home and decided that after such a loud "exclamation point" in their lives should start a happy chapter.

Monolyzhnik

Starting a new life, the couple Connolly has a son, as a normal child - he also played, he was busy in the sand, he helped his father, swam and walked into the woods. When Kevin was a little older, his parents sent him to the gym and the fight that he coached his back and arms. Soon the boy became so clever that easily do a handstand.

In 10 years, Kevin started skiing. For a long time this sport was not available for the "seating" parasportsmenov. But with the invention monoski, everything changed. Monoski - a sports equipment, which is a seat, reinforced on one ski with seatbelts, shock absorbers and outriggerami instead of sticks.

In 1999, Kevin took his first gold medal at the junior sports competitions for people with disabilities; 2005 - Silver American Cup giant slalom; and in 2007 it held the most resounding victory of the athlete.

This year, he performed at the World Winter Extreme Games, where, among other disciplines, the competition is held on the monoski. Kevin Michael Connolly won the silver medal of the competition.

double test

Kevin fundamentally uses a wheelchair, - as a rule, he moves on a skateboard, pushing his hands off the ground. While still a student at the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), the guy noticed how look askance at it some people.

"What happened to you?" - the only question in their eyes. No one was interested in what he is doing.

Tired of this, the summer of 2007, Kevin, also addicted to photography, armed with a camera and went to the 11-week international tour. His aim was to show the people their side - they look like when they see a disabled person on the street. Having started in New Zealand, he visited Romania, Ukraine, Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Malaysia, Japan (total 27 countries), and when he returned to the United States, published pictures taken on a journey into Internet - The Rolling Exhibition.

Here are some of them:

Exhibition blew public. All finally asked the question - "How he is come from?". Connolly has received several awards, and in 2009 published a book of his memoirs, illustrated with photographs of the author - Double Take.

It is believed that we live in a civilized society, but whether because human nature is, whether society is not civilized, but people without hands or feet, with curvature of the spine or cerebral palsy is often perceived as outlandish "exhibits". Kevin for his work seeks to change attitudes towards people with disabilities.

He currently lives in Christchurch, still leads an active lifestyle, writes and photographs. This winter, Kevin received an offer popular American channel Travel Channel star in a documentary series "Armed and dangerous". This show should also help the public in a new way to look at people with disabilities who do not have no excuses.

A photo: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6