Tom Morris, strength coach for Indiana State University, has always been involved in athletics in some way. From an avid athlete playing football in high school to volunteering with olympic sports in college, he turned his love for sports into a career by helping other athletes become the best version of themselves.
Tom is used to adapting workouts for his athletes, but he never thought the skill would help him adjust to a new way of living. He was involved in a mountain bike accident which caused him to become a c6 quadriplegic. Tom lived by an extremist mentality as he says,”the more I could push my body the better I felt like I was living.”
Tom thrived in rehab because he was used to spending his days in the gym. He persevered through each workout and returned home to continue his trainings and career as a strength coach. He gained a lot of mobility back in his upper body, eventually being able to function at a t8/t9 level injury.
Tom says on his first day back at work he didn’t let people see how scared he was on the inside, but instead he portrayed a sense of confidence. He knew he would have to adapt his coaching style and had to figure out which methods would work best for him and his athletes. He chose to go with a demo style, making videos and using previous athletes and/or interns as his models. His program design has slowed down tremendously, taking it back to the basics. Tom says he doesn’t take the human body for granted anymore.
Prior to his injury, Tom recalls participating in a ‘Day in the Life’ assignment where he had to spend his day as a wheelchair user. He laughs at himself now as he once wrote for the assignment, “My dream is to be a strength coach, and you definitely can’t do this job in a wheelchair!” Tom has proven himself wrong by overcoming adversity, and continuing to pursue and thrive in his dream job.
Tom hopes that his story shows people to take everything into perspective, embrace the little things and take charge of your life.
Does Tom’s story resonate with you? Share it with your friends!