No Excuse: Inspiring life of the man born without legs

It always amazes me what a human can accomplish, despite the tyranny life hurls at them. When odds are against us and we have no one as our support, there is a high chance that we submit to the harshness of life. But when we stand up to the cruelty, face it and win over it, that moment becomes the most inspiring moment of our life.  It further propels us to undertake seemingly impossible tasks in the future as well. For our hero, Zion Clark,  it was his wish to prove himself that he was greater than the obstacles he is facing in life.

 

The birth of our hero occurred on a fateful day of the year 1998. From the get-go, his life was met with such tribulations that many of us might not face it our entire lives. He was suffering from a rare disease "Caudal Regression Syndrome…..born with no legs". His condition was mainly due to the drug abuse of his biological mother during pregnancy. His case was so severe that he had to undergo two operations just to stay up straight.

Seeing such conditions, his biological parents refused to accept him and gave him to foster care. But Foster homes weren't comfy for him. So for 16 years, he was in search of a permanent home that he could truly call his own. During his search, he had to suffer from bullying, mental abuse and underfeeding in several of the homes. 

 

Then, on one gracious day, something magical happened. Just before a few days of Zion being legally unadoptable from the foster care, he found a loving mother, Kimberli Hawking, who herself dreamed of having a son. 

 

Later, Zion himself would call this adoption the best thing that's ever happened to him. 

 

During childhood, he had to face hardships not only in the home but also in school. Being an abnormal kid, he was bullied frequently, got shoved in lockers, and beaten up pretty bad. But despite such a tragic experience, our hero never loses his hope for living a prosperous life. He knew life was much more beautiful and was worth striving for. 

 

He got the taste of wrestling from second grade. Looking at his stature, it was easy to assume that he has no future in this field. In fact, he didn't win a single match for several years. But his passion and perseverance were way stronger than these petty obstacles. As time went by, in his senior years, he became one of the best wrestlers in his state.

 

This was just a glimpse of what a man can do if he is willing to work hard for it. And our hero knows it more than anyone else. That's why he trained himself to break the world record as the fastest man running on two hands. It took him 4.78 seconds to traverse 20 meters. He expressed his victory as, "Before I knew it, I had crossed the finish line! A rush of euphoria surged through my body as the official timer called out 4.78 seconds!"

 

Not only this, but he is also a champ in wheelchair racing. Initially, it was hard for him to control the chair at a high speed but he solved this problem with his training and became the fastest special athlete in Ohio, USA.

 

He has set his dream to become the first American athlete to compete in both the Olympics (wrestling) and Paralympic (wheelchair racing) in the 2024 games. And looking at his progress till now, I have no speck of doubt that he wouldn't achieve it. 

 

His resolution and diligence fascinated even the Hollywood directors and his journey during his senior years were portrayed in a short film titled "Zion". It's currently available on Netflix as well.

 

He has balanced his brutal training routine along with inspiring people with his life lessons. He is also a highly acclaimed motivational speaker. He recently released a book titled "Zion Unmatched", which is aimed at younger readers, features a photo essay of him, his training and family and early life. He wishes to spread his wisdom to all those kids who have suffered through their lives and motivates them to stand up against whatever hell life throws at them.

 

No Excuse: The life motto Zion lives by, and encourages others to do the same. He has tattooed these two words on his back as well; to constantly remind him of his philosophy.

 

Life is hard not only for Zion but for every single one of us. But it's up to us either to yield to the severity of life or face it with perseverance. Zion chose the latter and inspires others to do the same. With his dedication, he is now a wrestler, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, actor and even the world record holder. Despite most of the aspects of his life trying to suppress him, he bore all those weights and rose to unimaginable heights.

 

He reminds us that the world is a cruel place, and it's up to us to decide how to live in it. For extraordinary achievement, the effort we put forth must be extraordinary. We might have to exert our skills to our absolute limits and be willing to make the sacrifices to achieve our dreams; just like our hero inspires us to be.

 

The message Zion would give to kids with disabilities or anyone with a disability would be, "It's going to be hard, but if you’ve got the heart and the determination, you can go get what’s yours. If you’re disabled or you’re not disabled, the message stays the same."