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本項翻譯係經世界總會授權，版權亦屬世界總會及中華民國國際演講協會所有， |
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騎出一帖良藥 |
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Cycling
for a Cure 作者：Julie Bawden Davis |
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| 和許多男孩一樣，凱利布蘭特曾熱衷於各項運動。當他在青少年時期，被神經機能失調所困擾，他的雙親帶他四處求醫。最後，在他17歲時，他們發現凱利身患一種，會讓運動神經失調、四肢退化，變成無法行走的罕見遺傳疾病，弗裏德賴希共濟失調Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA)。雖然這個令人失望疾病的消息，可能會讓凱利陷入深深絕望中，但是凱利的想法，造成不一樣不結果。 | |
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When Bryant
graduated from college in 2005 with a degree in engineering, he
discovered how he could contribute to the FA cause. “It was getting
difficult just to walk down the street, and this made me feel trapped
and anxious to do something,” recalls Bryant. “I saw a guy on TV riding
a special tricycle and thought, I can do that. So I bought a trike.”
Bryant pedaled
seven miles on his first ride and continued to best himself, reaching 50
miles a few weeks later. Just four months after getting his trike, he
decided to tackle a 100-mile ride benefiting the American Diabetes
Association. “During the last 20 miles of the Diabetes ride, I realized
that I was going to finish, and I thought, If I can do this, I can do
anything,” says Bryant. “At that point, I realized that things aren’t
supposed to be easy, but if you take the right steps, things will
happen, and it can be incredibly satisfying and empowering.” At the back of
Bryant’s mind during the 100-mile ride was a plan to set up his own ride
to benefit FA research, which he did in early 2007 when he launched his
fundraising organization, Ride Ataxia, by biking 2,500 miles from San
Diego to Memphis in 59 days. The trip, which he took with his father and
uncle, raised $40,000 and was matched by two FA organizations, elevating
the total to $100,000. Since then Bryant has initiated the raising of
nearly $1 million for Ataxia research.
“I
realized after my diagnosis that it’s important to not use your
circumstances as an excuse to feel sorry for yourself, but to use it as
an excuse to do something great with your life,” says Bryant, a member
of the Klassy Talkers in Sacramento, California, who was a semifinalist
in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking last August.
Bryant puts his speaking skills to good use. Organizations such as the
Muscular Dystrophy Association, schools and pharmaceutical companies
hire him to share his story of faith and persistence with their
audiences. Becoming a
Spokesperson
For a couple
of years after starting Ride Ataxia, Bryant worked full time as an
engineer and rode and raised funds in his free time. In October 2009, he
left his engineering job and accepted a position with the Friedreich’s
Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) as its spokesperson. Ronald Bartek is
co-founder and president of FARA. He met Bryant in 2007 at the kickoff
of the San Diego-to-Memphis ride. “Kyle is an inspiring man of real
quality and character with a winning personality and a wonderful way
with people,” says Bartek. “In addition to inspiring patients with FA
and their families and friends, he has invigorated the FA scientific
community. Thanks to his fundraising and collaboration efforts,
scientists are now saying the ‘C’ word. Up until about five years ago
they wouldn’t think of mentioning the possibility of a cure.”
Robert Wilson
is an FA researcher and professor at the University of Pennsylvania who
agrees with Bartek’s assessment. “The progress in FA research is
unprecedented, especially for a rare disorder, and Kyle’s role in terms
of direct funding and inspiration has been crucial,” says Wilson. “It
takes major dollars to perform biomedical research, and Kyle has raised
extraordinary sums, which is critical for developing effective
treatments and a cure for a rare condition such as FA.”
Wilson is also
impressed with Bryant’s strength, despite having the disorder. “I find
Kyle amazing,” says the researcher. “FA causes extreme muscle
fatigability. It’s difficult enough for anyone to ride for long
distances, but for someone with FA, it’s nothing short of stupendous.”
After leading
Ride Ataxia for about a year, Bryant decided in 2008 that he also wanted
to share his story through public speaking. “I realized that relating my
personal story with people would be the most effective way of getting
the word out about the rides and our cause. So when one of my co-workers
at the engineering firm where I worked invited me to a Toastmasters
meeting, I jumped on the opportunity. My first impression was that
everyone spoke so well, and they all appeared to be having a lot of
fun.” Delivering a
Powerful Message
John Tillison
is a fellow Klassy Talker who is amazed at how Bryant has harnessed the
power of Toastmasters to get his message across. “When Kyle gave his
first speech a couple of years ago, he told an upbeat story of someone
who loved sports, until he described his disease, at which point the Ice
Breaker took an emotional turn,” recalls Tillison. “As I got to know him
better, we discussed how he could make his message user-friendly yet
highly compelling, and his passion and sense of humor began to meld a
very powerful message. I’ve been a Toastmaster for 18 years, and I can’t
remember anyone improving more vastly than him. What’s particularly
encouraging is how he has used the skills he learned in Toastmasters to
not only create awareness of the disease and spearhead a major funding
project, but to inspire and touch the lives of others.” For Donna and
John Newman and their 13-year-old daughter Natalie, Bryant’s efforts
offer inspiration and hope. Natalie was diagnosed with FA in May 2010,
and the couple’s initial research of the condition presented them with
dire news. “Everything we found on FA – such as how crippling and
life-shortening the disease is – devastated us,” says Donna Newman, who
lives in Dallas, Texas. “We felt utterly hopeless until we stumbled on
Kyle. The fact that he was working so hard to raise money to find a cure
for this disease and remains active himself gave us hope at a very dark
time. My daughter got to meet him recently when he came to Dallas for a
race, and I heard her telling her friends afterwards that she had met
her hero.” In June 2010,
Bryant and two other bicyclists represented FARA in a Race Across
America event. The team took turns biking the 3,000-mile, coast-to-coast
trip, finishing in eight days, eight hours and 14 minutes. “This
disease does limit the ability of those of us with FA, making it tough
to do anything, but I always remind myself that life is not about what
happens to us, but how we react to what happens,” says Bryant. “I tell
everyone to not let FA, or any other condition, limit them. Do what
you’ve always wanted to do – even if it seems a little crazy – and do it
now.” For more
information about Kyle Bryant, Ride Ataxia and FARA, visit
http://www.rideataxia.org.
Julie Bawden
Davis is a freelance writer based in Southern California and a longtime
contributor to the Toastmaster. You can reach her at
Julie@JulieBawdenDavis.com |
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