Kelly Smith

One of Canada's Premier Paralympic Athletes

Attitude is Everything

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A Former National Team Athlete and Paralympic Marathon Silver Medalist, Kelly Smith has a unique ability to motivate and inspire others. Though he admits to being "just an average person," he is a proponent of extreme living and his life exemplifies how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things with confidence, hard work and a positive outlook.

An avid outdoorsman, Kelly Smith was a promising member of the Canadian National Speed Skiing Team, as well as a commercial pilot and instructor. He also pursued other activities in his spare time, including rock climbing. In 1991, he sustained a spinal chord injury as a result of a rock climbing accident. This became a defining moment in his life and forced him to reassess everything precious to him, including his athletic and career goals.

Finding his life on an entirely new path, Smith quickly realized that his attitude -- and not his injury -- would determine his quality of life experience. His passions for sport and aviation undeterred, he chose to become an air traffic controller, and resolved to become the best he could possibly be in the sport of wheelchair racing.

With an initial goal to qualify for the Canadian Olympic Team for the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Smith has, nearly ten years later, not only his participation in two Summer Paralympics of which to be proud, but also a number of Canadian wheelchair racing records, several wheelchair marathon victories and a Paralympics silver medal. Although modest about his achievements, Smith enjoys a well-deserved reputation among the world's elite wheelchair marathoners.

From his amazing journey, Smith has come to believe strongly that with success comes social responsibility. An active member of the British Columbia Wheelchair Sports Association, his platforms include promoting the benefits of active living, creating lifestyle opportunities for people with disabilities and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. Recently, Smith was invited by the Rick Hansen Foundation to become one of their National Ambassadors, and now works with them to help break down perception and attitudinal barriers by sharing his inspiring message with others.

Kelly Smith Speech Topic

Attitude is Everything

The challenges that Kelly Smith has faced in life, his attitude towards them, and his ability to rise above them, are what make him such an exceptional speaker. In his inspiring presentations, he tells audiences that it is the choices we make everyday that define the life we live and the life we can have-and it all starts with believing in what is possible.

Smith recounts for audiences the two key challenges that have shaped his life: the accident that broke his back, and his decision, in the wake of this, to become the very best athlete he could be. From there, he empowers audiences to recognize and focus on their strengths, to set goals, and to maintain a positive attitude in their efforts to achieve them. "Life is the ultimate adventure," Smith reminds us. "Why not live it as amazingly as you can. It all starts with believing and believing starts with the right attitude."

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