No Excuses

Brian Thone2/27/15Professor Nowlan

No Excuses: The Kyle Maynard Story

Kyle Maynard was born on March 24, 1986 in Washington D.C. to his parents

Scott and Anita. Maynard was born with a condition known as congenital amputation,

which is when fibrous bands prevent the development of fetal limbs. This resulted in

Maynard being born with arms that end just before the elbows, and legs above the knees.

It was decided early, however, that this condition wouldn’t define Kyle, as his parents

drove him to be as independent as possible from a young age. This initiated the beginning

of what Maynard calls his “pursuit of normalcy.”

Maynard’s athletic journey began at the age of 11 when he started to wrestle and

play football. It was clear that Maynard was tough, and enjoyed physical contact in his

choice of sports. Maynard’s wrestling career got off to a tough start, as he lost every

match he took part in his first year, and most of the ones his second year. Maynard was

not discouraged, however, and continued to demonstrate his unmatched perseverance in

training each year with his coaches.

Maynard’s passion for weightlifting stemmed from the training he took part in for

wrestling. After a very modest start, Maynard would go on to break records, eventually

attaining the title of “GNC’s World’s Strongest Teen,” by bench-pressing 23 repetitions

of 240 lbs. In 2009, with leather straps and chains attached to his arms, he successfully

lifted 420 lbs. Maynard also took great interest in CrossFit, which led to him becoming a

certified instructor and accomplishing one of his lifelong goals in opening his own gym

in 2008. Maynard used this opportunity as a platform to assist wounded veterans. With

the support of the community and founder, Greg Glassman, Kyle has been able to work

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with wounded soldiers on adapting their fitness regimens to meet their needs with a much

more functional methodology.

Maynard would go on to win 36 varsity matches his senior year at Collins Hill

High School, and ultimately place twelfth at the state tournament in Georgia for the 103

lb weight class. Several of his victories included wins over former state champions, and

other highly recruited wrestlers. For his inspiring performance, Maynard was awarded an

ESPY for “best athlete with a disability,” and elected into the National Wrestling Hall of

Fame a year later. Maynard would go on to wrestle at the University of Georgia;

however, his wrestling career would come to an end shortly after his arrival due to his

desire to touch the lives of others through the promotion of his book and public speaking.

While still attending the University of Georgia, Maynard began to work as a speaker for

the Washington Speaker's Bureau, specializing in motivational speeches. For the past

seven years, Maynard has traveled to five continents speaking for corporate meetings,

grade schools, universities, and programs supporting injured American veterans.

Maynard published his New York Times bestselling autobiography “No Excuses” in

2005. The novel served as inspiration for millions and focused on Maynard’s ability to

overcome adversity in both sports and in life. Maynard says his greatest passion in life is

to help others reach their potential, and his book demonstrated such values. Maynard’s

work was well received to say the least, as his story was discussed on premier television

programs such as ESPN’s Sportscenter, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning

America, ABC’s 20/20, etc. In 2007, he was elected by the U.S. Jaycees as one of the

“Top Ten Outstanding Young Americans.” In 2008, he would follow up by receiving the

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Highest Recognition Award of the Secretary of Health and Human Services for his

efforts as a life role model, motivational speaker and humanitarian.

Maynard’s wild ride continued as he developed a passion for mixed martial arts

(MMA). In 2005, Maynard began training, and was denied a fighter's license by the

Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission in 2007. Consequently, Maynard opted

to fight in Alabama where MMA was unregulated. In April of 2009, Kyle became the

first quadruple amputee to step into the cage and compete as an amateur mixed martial

arts fighter. Maynard is currently in his seventh year studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and

relentlessly works to improve his fighting skills. In 2010, he was the subject of a

documentary film titled “A Fighting Chance,” which focused on his MMA efforts. The

film was later released on DVD, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit wounded

veterans at Maynard’s request.

All of Maynard’s training unintentionally led up to one of his life’s greatest

challenges—climbing to the summit of the tallest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The climb was intended to raise awareness for wounded American military veterans, and

included a team consisting of former members of the U.S. military with injuries and

conditions including shrapnel wounds, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injury.

Upon hearing about the quest, an organization called Orthotic Specialists got involved.

Owners Barb and Brett Boutin created custom equipment to assist him in his climb,

including vibram soles based on molds of Maynard's arms and legs. On January 15, 2012

Maynard became the first quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro without

assistance, by crawling all 19,340 feet in just 10 days. The mission donated $25,000

worth of medical supplies to the Mwereni Integrated School for the Blind in Moshi,

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Tanzania. Maynard was awarded a second ESPY for his efforts, and sent a message that

no challenge is too great to overcome in the process.

Kyle Maynard can type up to fifty words per minute on a normal keyboard, eat and

write without any adaptations, drive a vehicle that has little modification, and live on his

own in a three-story townhouse in Atlanta, GA. Maynard epitomizes the meaning of

perseverance, and has inspired millions of people around the world in his short 28 years.

Maynard is among the ten percent of people in the world living with a disability, and like

many others, refuses to let his condition define him.

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Works Cited

N.a. “Kyle Maynard.” Washington Speakers Bureau. Washington Speakers Bureau, 2015. Web.

27 February 2015. <http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/speakers/speaker.cfm?

SpeakerID=4761>.

“N.a. “Kyle Maynard’s Bio.” Official Website of Kyle Maynard. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 February

2015. <http://kyle-maynard.com/about-kyle/>.

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No Excuses