WEBVTT

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OPPORTUNITY HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH

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PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE

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OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE. YOU

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ALMOST WELCOME IT NOT GOING

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PERFECT. MAYBE EVEN HAVING A BAD

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DAY. BUT WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM

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IT. WHAT CAN I DO?

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>> INSPIRATIONAL WORDS FROM TOM

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MORRIS, A FITNESS DIEHARD WHOSE

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WORLD WAS ROCKED AFTER A

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DEVASTATING MOUNTAIN BIKE

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ACCIDENT LEFT HIM PARALYZED FROM

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THE WAIST DOWN. BUT, HE'S USED

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THAT EXPERIENCE TO TEACH OTHERS

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THE VALUE OF RESILIENCY TO NEVER

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GIVE UP.

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FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, TOM HAS

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SERVED AS ASSISTANT ATHLETIC

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DIRECTOR FOR ATHLETIC

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PERFORMANCE, DEVELOPING AND

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IMPLEMENTING STRENGTH,

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CONDITIONING, FLEXIBILITY AND

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SPEED FOR INDIANA UNIVERSITY'S

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24 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S NCAA

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DIVISION ONE PROGRAMS.

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HE'S ALSO A KEY DRIVER TO

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EDUCATE AND RAISE AWARENESS

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THROUGH INDIANA'S WORK TO

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INCLUDE COALITION - WHICH

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EDUCATES AND RAISES AWARENESS

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ABOUT DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT.

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FOR MORE, WE ARE PLEASED TO BE

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JOINED BY TOM MORRIS.

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TOM, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

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>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME,

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EXTREMELY EXCITING.

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>> TALK ABOUT THE WORD, A

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STATE-WIDE COALITION, AND THE

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EFFORTS OF THAT GROUP.

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YOUR STORY IS TRULY AMAZING.

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YOU WERE A TRI-ATHLETE, VERY

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ACTIVE, HAD A DREAM OF BEING A

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STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH

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INSTRUCTOR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS,

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THEN YOU HAD THIS SERIOUS

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ACCIDENT THAT REALLY CHANGED

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EVERYTHING AT THAT TIME.

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>> IT SURE DID.

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I LIVED A LIFE THAT WAS

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BASICALLY I HAD NO BOUNDARIES, I

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WAS LIVING THE LIFE OF PURE

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FREEDOM.

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DOING A JOB THAT I NEVER FELT I

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WORKED A DAY IN MY LIFE AND

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BEING ABLE TO COMPETE IN A SPORT

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WHICH GAVE ME IDENTITY.

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NINE YEARS AGO, A MOUNTAIN BIKE

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ACCIDENT MADE THAT ALL COME INTO

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QUESTION.

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AND IT PRETTY MUCH ZEROED ME

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OUT, PARALYZED ME FROM THE CHEST

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DOWN.

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LEFT ALL FOUR LIMBS EITHER

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IMPAIRED OR NOT WORKING AT ALL.

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>> WOW, WAS THERE A MOMENT

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OBVIOUSLY THAT YOU THOUGHT THAT

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WAS YOUR DREAMS CAREER-WISE, HAD

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ENDED.

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WAS THERE A MOMENT THAT KIND OF

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CHANGED YOU, LISTEN, I'M GOING

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TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, I'M GOING

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TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW MY DREAM

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AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT?

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>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS FOUR

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DAYS AFTER THIS ACCIDENT.

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I'M STILL FEELING PRETTY GOOD.

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ON THE 5th DAY THE REALITY OF

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EVERYTHING THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY

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FROM ME REALLY CAME OUT AND I

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LEARNED THAT I HAD LOST ALL MY

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INDEPENDENCE.

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THAT WAS THE MO EMMET THAT IT

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REALLY MOMENT IT ROCKED ME AND

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MADE ME QUESTION HOW I WOULD BE

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ABLE TO COME BACK.

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IT ONLY LASTED 12 TO 15 HOURS.

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THEN THE REALITY SET IN OF I'M

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GOING TO GAIN BACK THIS LIFE,

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I'M GOING TO WORK MY BUTT OFF,

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CONTROL WHAT I CAN, AND

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SYSTEMATICALLY KEEP GAINING

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EVERYTHING I HAD, DO IT

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DIFFERENTLY

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>> YOU'RE DOING IT IN A BIG WAY,

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INDIANA UNIVERSITY AND BEYOND,

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WORK TO INCLUDE COALITION OF

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TEAMS AROUND THE STATE OF

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INDIANA, REALLY FOCUSED ON

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HELPING TO GET HOOSIERS WITH

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DISABILITIES, HELPING TO GET

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THEM ON THE JOB, A STATISTIC I

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FIND INTERESTING, 463,000

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HOOSIERS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT

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OF THAT AMOUNT, LESS THAN 40%

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WERE EMPLOYED AT LAST LOOK.

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SO THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY

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THERE AND SOME REAL CHALLENGES

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YOU'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.

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>> ABSOLUTELY.

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THOSE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING,

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WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT MUCH OF

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THE POTENTIAL WORKFORCE THAT'S

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OUT THERE, AND JUST SITTING

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THERE NOT DOING ANYTHING, IT

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BREAKS MY HEART.

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BECAUSE WORKING FOR SO MANY, IT

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ISN'T A CHORE, IT IS SUCH A

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LUXURY TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND

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IMPACT PEOPLE AND MAKE A

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DIFFERENCE, TO HAVE A PASSION

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AND SHOW THAT AND HELP OTHERS,

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KNOWING THERE IS THAT MANY

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PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED, IT IS REALLY

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TOUGH.

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SO IT IS OUR GOAL TO SPREAD THE

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MESSAGE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT

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TO GET EMPLOYERS TO HELP THESE

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PEOPLE

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>> ESPECIALLY DURING THIS AGE OF

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WORKFORCE SHORTAGES, WHICH WE'RE

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TALKING ABOUT ON A DAILY BASIS.

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AND YOU'RE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF

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THE TALENT THAT'S OUT THERE IN

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THE COMMUNITY OF THOSE PEOPLE

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FACING DISABILITIES.

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INCREDIBLE TALENT THROUGH A

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RANGE OF AREAS THAT CAN BE PUT

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TO GOOD WORK.

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>> I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

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THERE IS SO MANY.

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THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE I'VE BEEN

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ABLE TO MEET THAT ARE CURRENTLY

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UNEMPLOYED THAT DO HAVE A

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DISABILITY, BUT THE IMPACT THEY

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CAN MAKE FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVES

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TO JUST THEIR PASSIONS TO THE

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LIVES THEY'V LIVED AND HOW THEY

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CAN IMPACT EVERYONE AROUND THEM.

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IT IS STAGGERING, AND

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UNBELIEVABLE.

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THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO CONTINUE

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TO KEEP PUSHING WITH THIS

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INITIATIVE

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>> TOM MORRIS, SENIOR ASSISTANT

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ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR ATHLETIC

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PERFORMANCE AT I.U., TOM,

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AMAZING STORY, VERY INSPIRING,

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AND REALLY BRANCHING OUT BEYOND

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THE UNIVERSITY,