Chad A. Williams' Cerebral Palsy Story

Chad’s Links

• Connect with Chad on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadwillia1
• Get Your Doing Hard Things My Way Gear: https://doinghardthingsmyway.com/
• Contribute to the Doing Hard Things My Way - Adaptive Athlete Scholarship Fund: https://bold.org/funds/doing-hard-things-my-way-adaptive-athlete-scholarship-fund

Chad Williams, host of The Cerebral Palsy Perspective, takes a moment to share his personal journey with Cerebral Palsy. Chad was diagnosed at the age of two with hemiplegia, which was caused by a stroke either just before or just after birth. He discusses the challenges of his early life, including missing developmental milestones, having a limp, a difference in leg length, and wearing special shoes. His mother was his biggest advocate, working with him and doctors to understand his differences. Chad recalls having surgery just before fifth grade to break and realign his left foot with pins, as well as a tendon lengthening procedure. He reflects on the isolation and bullying he experienced in school, such as having to take the bus even though he lived close, and teachers setting up a special process for him during fire drills. Chad also shares positive memories, including classmates asking him to play football, and the amazing support he received when he ran modified cross country and played modified basketball, even scoring his two points for the season to a standing ovation.

Later in life, a desk job caused him to be less active, leading to severe tightness and spasticity in his muscles. A specialist advised him to find a gym or return to physical therapy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this lack of activity caused a downward spiral, with extreme pain, stiffness in his hips and hamstrings, and a mental struggle that led to depression. Chad felt his Cerebral Palsy was "winning" for the first time. Inspired by his very active brother, Chad sought a challenge and decided to train for a Spartan Sprint, a three-mile run with 20 obstacles. He worked with a trainer and faced intense self-doubt, but was lifted up by the belief of his support system. A major hurdle was the rope climb, which brought back frustrating memories of not being able to climb the rope in fifth grade. Through persistent training, he was able to successfully climb the rope using only his hands and arms, as his condition prevents the use of traditional foot-hooking techniques.

Chad went on to finish the Spartan, found a new love for running, and has since logged over 900 miles. He discusses the adaptations he uses to run, including custom orthotics, compression, and a hip brace. His experiences led him to connect with the Cerebral Palsy community and launch his brand, "Doing Hard Things My Way". He gives back through organizing a 5K fundraiser for Cerebral Palsy Strong and launching a $500 scholarship for an adaptive athlete. He and Daryl started this podcast to be a resource for others in the Cerebral Palsy community.

Please share this episode with anyone you think would be interested in listening to it. Visit yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-perspective for links to the show page on each of the major podcast directories. From there, you can subscribe and share this pod.