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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 16th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2013> Kyle Maynard, United States—The Limbless Warrior
[Limbless, Limitless]  

No arms, No legs, No EXCUSES
--Kyle Maynard
Kyle’s taken away the right to complain from the rest of us.
--Bernie Gunther
 
In 1986, Kyle Maynard was born a quadruple amputee – the worst of all types of congenital amputation. However, Kyle’s parents were not overwhelmed by his disabilities, nor did they give up conceiving three other healthy babies, with whom Kyle was raised as a normal child. Intriguingly, Kyle never belittled himself. Instead, he requested to participate in the wrestling team at the age of 11, which surprised many at the time. Kyle, faced with many predicaments, lost 35 consecutive matches in his first year, after which any ordinary wrestlers would start considering quitting. Although his opponents even resorted to dubious methods during the contest, where Kyle’s nose was deliberately broken, he never gave up. In 2004, Kyle, in his junior year, ranked 12th nationwide by winning 35 matches out of 51.
 
Kyle was born with a condition known as congenital amputation. However, the 26-year-old, limbless warrior motivates the world with his speeches, bestsellers, documentaries and martial art techniques. He encourages all youngsters to pursue their dreams and surmount all challenges, bringing hopes to millions: “No arms, No legs, No EXCUSES.”
 
Kyle is currently one of the brightest stars of the Washington Speakers Bureau, where he gives motivation speeches. His book, entitled “No Excuses”, also resonated with the world and had Kyle invited to The Oprah Show. After many years of mixed martial arts training, Kyle became one of the top wrestlers of the nation and was awarded the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2012. His endeavor was made into a documentary entitled “A Fighting Chance” in 2010, encouraging millions of viewers across the United States. Kyle also conquered Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, becoming the first disabled hiker ever reaching the top of the mountain without any assistance.
 
Kyle’s limbless yet limitless life has brought influence to many others by showing passion, confidence and determination to the world through his speeches, publications and sportsmanship. He indeed stood out from 2139 recommendations throughout the world.

The Path to Success
Imagine that you had been deprived of all flesh and bones in your arms and legs at birth, that you were incapable of standing up tall and could only crawl around, that you were unable to enjoy a convenient life and the freedom to perspire on sports venues, that you could only solicit on the streets and endure contempt for life. When life seemed a long walk into the night, Kyle never gave up on himself, leading him to his accomplishment that has been marveled by the world.
 
Kyle Maynard was born March 24, 1986 with congenital amputation. Any ordinary parents would have wept in grief and been worried about the baby’s future. Instead, Kyle’s parents began what he called his “pursuit of normalcy”. His father subjected him to a weight-training program no different from others at the gym when Kyle was 11 years of age, when he embarked onto the path to success.
The Wrestling Giant

With the support from his father and his coach, Kyle started his career as a student wrestler. He had lost every single match in his first year, for he was the shortest of all contestants and could not approach his opponents when they pressed against his head. No matter how many matches he had lost, his will was never defeated. To beat the odds, Kyle’s father designed a very intensive weight-training course, and his coach came up with very unique methods for Kyle to raise his agility. With the new techniques, strengths and his iron will, Kyle finally won 35 out of 51 rounds, defeating many state place finishers and state champions across the country.

The Athlete’s Dream Comes True
Kyle has always dreamed to be a professional athlete, with wrestling being one of his sports of interest. He also practices swimming, baseball, American football and weight lifting. At the age of 11, he started training himself with his elbows tied up with ropes attached to 2.5-pound iron bars. He was never ashamed by his handicapped appearance at the gym, but rather he was only embarrassed by not having enough weight tied to his training equipment. After countless days of intensive training, Kyle was able to lift 400 pounds at the age of 19. Apart from sports, with basically two elbows, Kyle can type up to fifty words per minute on a normal keyboard, eat and write without any adaptations, and drive a vehicle that has little modification. “It’s not what I CAN do, but what I WILL do.” Kyle remarked.
 
Kyle was presented the Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award in 2004, his book, “No Excuses”, was on the New York Times Best Seller list in the following year, and in year 2007, the U.S. Jaycees elected Kyle as one of the Top Ten Outstanding Young Americans. Kyle Maynard had spent three years delivering countless speeches and attending numerous TV shows, where he shared his own success stories. In 2008, another dream of Kyle’s materialized – A small gym in an Atlanta suburb named after his own motto, No Excuses CrossFit.

Taller Than the Zenith
In an interview on CNN, Kyle was asked if he would change his appearance if he had the chance to meet God, and surprisingly, he answered, “I have been blessed enough to be able to bring so much hope to others.” Many fans even emailed Kyle, telling him that they gave up suicide after they had read his book.
 
For Kyle, the purpose for No Excuses CrossFit is to give people a chance to work out with him so that they gain strength physically as well as mentally, and to help them realize their true potential when they see a person with a disability setting and reaching goals.
 
Kyle may not reach the waistline of an average adult when he stands, but his will is surely taller than the zenith. In his insignificant flesh and bones lives a noble spirit. He never makes excuses, but rather he is grateful to have the ability to influence countless others. In his speeches, he always told his audience that everyone may have different forms of physical, mental, or other inconspicuous disabilities, and that while many people resort to excuses most of the time when they fail, as long as one holds on to the right attitude and perseveres, all challenges will be overcome and all goals shall be achieved. “Know your limits, but never stop trying to break them.”