One + July 2011 - (Page 53)

were built throughout the village, and a small army of volunteers provided assistance to anyone who needed it. Bedwell says that seeing how the business owners, residents of Snowmass Village, fellow soldiers and others at the conference went out of their way to ensure that everything was accessible demonstrated an indescribable display of human kindness. “One night, there was a double amputee on the dance ﬂoor, and she desperately wanted to shake her booty just like everyone else,” Bedwell said. “A man picked her and her wheelchair up so she could feel like she was dancing. It was overwhelming and humbling for us to see.” The Future Alan Babin continues his rehabilitation and plans to spend more time skiing, SCUBA diving, working out and improving his computer skills. “Before the week in Snowmass, all I worried about was whether I would ever be able to walk again,” he said. “I couldn’t ﬁgure out what [our family] was doing [at the event] because I couldn’t move much.” He says that getting onto an ice rink and playing sled hockey gave him a renewed sense of optimism. “The clinic changed me from seeing myself as a patient to a combat veteran overcoming the challenges of recovery and improving my body so I can participate in life physically, even if I can’t speak or communicate very well,” he said. Bedwell has more “modest” goals. This summer, he plans to learn to water ski, kayak and rock climb. His dream is to be the ﬁrst blind contestant on Dancing With the Stars. “I’ve got two choices in life: fear or live,” he said. “If I live in fear, I’ll accomplish nothing. But if I decide that I’m willing to try, I can say, ‘I did that’ and then ask, ‘Can I get better at it?’” Bedwell holds down a full-time job as a construction worker. He spends his days hanging dry wall, doing electrical work and climbing up and down ladders to lay shingles on roofs. He stays physically active by walking four to ﬁve miles a day (with the aid of a handheld GPS) near his home in Dugger, Indiana. As he reﬂected on the Winter Sports Clinic experience, Bedwell humbly revealed that his peers had voted him the event’s most inspirational veteran and that he was presented with the Linnie Howard Spirit Award. As he thought about the honor, Bedwell broke into tears. “When I got home and told my parents that I’d won the award, my dad told me he was proud of me for everything that I have accomplished.” We all are. KEVIN WOO is a frequent contributor to One+. mpiweb.org 53 LONNIE BEDWELL http://www.beaverrun.com http://www.beaverrun.com http://www.mpiweb.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of One + July 2011

One + July 2011
Contents
Energy of Many
Impressions
Paradigm Shifts, Part II
Web Watch
Agenda
Thoughts+Leaders
Ask the Experts
Recognizing Community and Organizational Excellence
Overheard
Art of Travel
The Prism Effect
Top Spots
Connections
Irrelevant
Using New Tech for Old Purposes
So You Think You Can Dance
Don’t Use Tech You Don’t Understand
Are You In It to Win It?
Anything is Possible
Night of the Radishes
Well Played
When People Come Together, Magic Happens
Size Matters
Building a Better FAM
One Bar at a Time
MPI + CSR
Industry Insights
Your Community
Making a Difference
Until We Meet Again

One + July 2011