Motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur and athlete Kyle Maynard will discuss his life of “No Excuses” at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 15, in Cone University Center, McKnight Hall.
Born a congenital amputee, Maynard began wrestling at age 11 when a supportive coach gave him a chance on the mats. He went on to compete and set records in wrestling, mixed martial arts and weightlifting. As a high school senior, he won 36 varsity matches. In 2004, Maynard received his first ESPY Award for Best Athlete with a Disability. A year later he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and his book “No Excuses” became a New York Times best seller.
This past July, the 26-year-old Maynard became the first quadruple amputee to crawl to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro without assistance. Subsequently, he received his second 2012 ESPY award, again for Best Male Athlete with a Disability.
"The Distinguished Speakers Forum at UNC Charlotte is proud to host Mr. Kyle Maynard, particularly in October during Disability Awareness Month,” said Thanh Le, assistant director of student activities and this year’s Distinguished Speakers Forum Committee Chair. “We hope students as well as the greater campus community will join us to hear his remarkable story and be inspired to consider how we approach the unique challenges of our own lives.”
Maynard’s talk, which is sponsored by UNC Charlotte’s Distinguished Speakers Forum, is free and open to the public.