Don’t give up – that’s the message Bert Burns shares with those around him. Bert, a paraplegic, was paralyzed when he was hit by a drunk driver 34 years ago. He embraces being a wheelchair user, and has decided to “be the best guy in a chair I could be.”
One way he did so was by being involved in sports, and subsequently the Paralympics – earning himself a gold medal in 1992.
“I was fortunate to be able to do well in wheelchair sports and got to race all around the world, win a few medals along the way…meet tons of people and travel. It was great.”
However, what Bert cherished more was being able to shape people’s lives. “I try to help out a lot of folks, try to do the best I can,” he shares. As a regular at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, Bert has the opportunity to reach out to many like him.
“I just try to tell them that life’s not over. It’s just different. Ok? You’re doing things rolling instead of walking.”
Bael Gill, a 17-year-old who has a spinal cord injury, is one person Bert has impacted. “You can go and do what you want,” she says. “I heard [Bert] say you have the decision to let go and pout or you have the decision to go and make something of your life … Why be sad when you can be happy?”
Similarly, Michael McCann, who is also paralyzed, shares Bert’s optimism and zest for life: “If you don’t make that choice, you’re not going to be able to do it and right now I feel that I can do anything that I choose to do.”
Ambition is what characterizes these individuals. Bael is focused on her studies, aiming to get into law school. As for Bert, besides being an esteemed athlete, he is also a father, husband, and successful entrepreneur. And his crowning glory is being able to help people reach their fullest potential.
“If I can get that message through to somebody and they can see that…then it’s totally worthwhile.”
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