March 29th, 2016: Students at Canadian University Dubai (CUD) have received an inspirational talk from paralyzed athlete, Mr. Chris Khoury, about the importance of positivity and inner strength in day-to-day life.
Khoury, who was paralyzed from the chest down following a motocross accident in 2009, visited CUD in his capacity as an ambassador for the Wing for Life campaign, a non-profit research foundation that aims to find a cure for spinal cord-related disabilities.
Speaking about his life-changing accident, Khoury said that he made a conscious decision early on to adopt a positive attitude and seize every opportunity that came his way.
He said, “A voice inside my head said that this was my new reality and I immediately chose to be positive about it. I have met so many different people and learnt so many new things because of this. Most of all, I’ve discovered that positivity is contagious, and if you face your fears, you come out stronger both physically and emotionally, and so lead a fuller life.”
Following his accident, Khoury learned to cope with his constant pain through persistence and determination, and ultimately started to carve a new pathway to enjoy the recreational side of his life that had been hindered by his injury. Starting out with hand-cycling, he progressed to compete in triathlons, and is now at the forefront of promoting the Wings for Life World Run in Dubai.
The run, which will be held on May 8th at Dubai Autodrome, challenges participant to stay ahead of the ‘catcher car’ to stay in the race for as long as possible. It is part of a global event that takes place in 35 countries simultaneously and involves more than 150,000 runners. All funds raised go to the Wing for Life Foundation.
Khoury concluded, “Once every six minutes, someone learns that they will never walk again. Our mission through this event is to raise awareness of spinal cord injury and make paralysis a thing of the past.”
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