We all face adversity in our lives at some time or another. It's what we do in those moments that define our character and ultimately shape our destinies.
It's easy to give up when tragedy strikes.. We want nothing more than to undo the past, and knowing that it's impossible, we try our best to turn invisible.
Few have had it harder in life than a certain friend of mine.. and while he did face a downward spiral, his story is ultimately one of courage and inspiration despite all odds.. He is..
~The Single-Handed Sailor~
Dustin Reynolds isn't your typical sailor. He was never formally trained how to sail, for one.. but he's also short two appendages, which makes his solo yachting trip around the world all the more remarkable. Funds, lack of experience or know-how, and missing an arm and a leg hasn't stopped Dustin one bit.
To understand how he got to this point, let's fill in a few details of his backstory...
11 years ago, Dustin was living the good life, as they call it. In Dustin's own words,
" I had a very comfortable western lifestyle. Nice house, business, Mercedes, fishing boat, and an Ill-fated Honda RC-51 motorcycle."
That ill-fated motorcycle was what Dustin was riding on up the Pacific Coast Highway on October 18th 2008 when he was plowed over by a drunk-driver behind the wheel of a semi-trailer. The accident literally ripped his left arm and leg off and left him in a heap on the side of the road.
The outlook was bleak..
" I was on a hospital bed with a punctured spleen, punctured lung, aspirated, traumatically amputated arm, broken scapula, and foot broken beyond repair."
The doctor's told him that he probably wouldn't survive the surgery. But instead of saying "Goodbye" to friends and family, he said, "I'll see you after." .. and he did! Miraculously, He survived the operation! But he would now have to live his life as a double-amputee..
As you can imagine, life wasn't all roses and peaches for Dustin post-operation. Dealing with the loss of both limbs on the left side of his body, and coping with the horrific near-death experience, depression hit him pretty bad. He had lost his bike, he soon lost his business, the house and everything along with it.. He wanted to give up.. in a very short period of time, he found himself in financial ruin..
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But, that same voice of strength that Dustin had found before he went under on the operating table, started to speak up again.. There was a reason he fought to live, and it wasn't to just was away in self-pity and misery.
Dustin, with renewed vigor, started formulating a plan.. he decided to follow his dream of sailing around the world. Only now, his goal was
"to become the first double-amputee to circumnavigate the world solo."
Fast forward to today, and Dustin has made that dream a reality, and more so. He continues to impact people's lives at every corner of the globe, and he has no plan on ever stopping.
"My journey may have started with some heartbreak, a little ignorance, and a massive chip on my shoulder. This same journey and I have evolved to what I hope becomes a lifelong platform for adventure and exploration."
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