Rock On, Steve!

:: print created by Patrick O'Brian ::

During the 4th of July parade this year there was a van with signs plastered all over it that said, "Rock On, Steve!" And behind that van there was a man in a motorized wheel chair.

Steve.

Steve Wampler has Cerebral Palsy. And Steve Wampler is planning on climbing El Capitan in Yosemite.

This is El Capitan.

I couldn't climb this thing and I have two legs that work. Could you?

What if someone in a wheel chair told you that he was going to climb that. Only doing pull ups. About 20,000 pull ups. And that it was going to take him 6 days to do it. You'd think he was nuts, right?

No, you wouldn't. You'd look at him and say, "Rock On, Steve!"

Being in a wheel chair isn't stopping Steve because it isn't about the climb. It's about raising money--hopefully a cool 2 million--for his foundation, a non-profit that sponsors camps for children with physical disabilities. They're called Wampler's Kids.

The Cheese is going to camp (not Steve's camp obviously, but a camp that is in the same area) at the end of this month. He's so excited and we're excited for him because we know that he will experience things that he never would otherwise. He'll run and play and swim and have the time of his life.

Kids with disabilities want to experience the same thing.

So when some kids came up to me at the parade selling bracelets that said, "Rock On, Steve!" we bought several. I plan on wearing mine until Steve makes his climb this September. He'll be the first on to do it with Cerebral Palsy.

Guys like Steve inspire me. Not because he's disabled, but because he's a man that believes. Because he's a man that wants to make the world--the world of kids with disabilities--a better place.

Just looking at the bracelet reminds me that all things are possible.

You can learn more about Steve and his campers (and buy your own bracelet!) here.

Rock On, Steve. Rock On.