allen The world was given this gift mere mortals call Bucky on August 22nd, 1978 and since then the universe has felt a calm of peace and prosperity…… kidding. Here’s my real story.

I was born on a farm in northern WI in 1978. I’ve enjoyed being outdoors and working my entire life. As dairy farmers, we worked hard and learned that nothing worth having came easy in the world. It is as true today as it was 31 years ago.

I’ve lived life just as much as anyone I’ve ever known and I have no regrets about where that path has led me today. Some of those times were extremely hard and becoming a paraplegic is absolutely at the top of the list. On April 1st, 2002 after a day of snowboarding in Colorado, a motorcycle accident left me paralyzed from the chest down. It is without a doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life, emotionally and, of course, physically.

I have constantly been pushed to the breaking point overcoming the new challenges of everyday life, relying solely on myself. However, with these challenges, come new rewards and feelings of accomplishment just by doing those simple everyday tasks like, pumping my own gas, pushing my wheelchair up a hill on a “walk”, or just finding reasons to smile.

I have been blessed with many wonderful friends & family that truly care and are extremely helpful. However, when dealing with a spinal cord injury, or any disability for that matter, there is only so much that those close to you can do. The bulk of it, really, must come from within.

Working out at Awakenings has helped me accept the challenges that I face and find ways to overcome them. It allows me to help others do the same. By creating a community of people with similar challenges, we learn from each other and, most importantly, push each other to new limits daily. Even though the staff is highly underpaid and certainly underappreciated, it is clear that they love what they do, that they truly care about the lives of everyone who comes to Awakenings. It is family.

I work a full time job, volunteer at Children’s Hospital, and work out 5 days a week at Awakenings. Life is full of struggles and setbacks for everyone. People won’t remember the problems that you had in your lifetime; they will remember how you reacted to them. I just hope people remember that I “stood up” to every challenge I faced for a lifetime.

Allen “Bucky” McKinley