| PARALYMPIC ATHLETES | JOSH SUNDQUIST |
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Who ist this 19 year old
Josh Sundquist?
Josh Sundquist used to be like any other nine-year-old.
He loved to run, play soccer and hang out with his
friends. But then he began experiencing pain in
his left leg. The doctors discovered that he had
a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma, and
he was given a fifty/fifty chance to live. When
months of chemotherapy treatments didn't shrink
the tumor, the decision was made to amputate Josh's
leg at the hip.
Now nine years off treatment and cured of cancer,
he continues to overcome his disability on a daily
basis. He is an avid mountain biker, swimmer and
runner. At the age of 16, Josh took up competitive
skiing, and by his senior year of high school he
had moved to Colorado to become a full time ski
racer. He continues to race on the national level
with the Winter Park Disabled Ski team, and he hopes
to someday win a medal at the Paralympic games.
More recently Josh has become involved with soccer.
In the summer of 2003 he will travel to England
to represent the US Amputee Soccer Team in a 4X4
tournament, and in 2004 he hopes to join the US
Team at Amputee World Championships.
Josh began speaking in front of groups about his
experiences at the age of ten. He has since touched
the lives of thousands as he has spoken at schools,
businesses, and even the National Press Club and
the White House. At eighteen, he is one of the youngest
people ever to be accepted as a member of the National
Speaker's Association. He is also a founding member
of the Youth Navigators Roundtable, a panel of America's
top motivational speakers for schools and youth
groups.
He has won numerous national awards for his writing
in magazines, his column in the Richmond Times Dispatch
and his pieces in Daily Guideposts. He has written
chapters for several books including Portraits in
Courage and Teens Write Through It.
Josh served a two year tenure as the National Spokesperson
for the Combined Federal Campaign, and his involvement
was credited with directly raising several million
dollars for charities around the world. Josh has
won several awards for his achievements including
an honorary position on Lance Armstrong's US Postal
Service Cycling Team, The Heroes Among Us award
from the Virginia State Legislature and The Discovery
Card Tribute award.
Josh is currently attending the College of William
and Mary where he plays with the club soccer team
and serves on the leadership board for the Fellowship
of Christian Athletes.
© 2003, Joshua
Sundquist, All Rights Reserved
Make sure to also listen to Josh's advise for fellow amputees.
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