A MESSAGE WITH IMPACT
As reported by the Trenton New Jersey Times
"For 17 years, Jerry Traylor has come to these gatherings (corporate sales meetings, conventions, chamber lunches, etc.) with a different message: 'Don't do as I say. Do as I do.'
"Traylor would seem an unlikely speaker at a gathering of gray-suited managers from Procter & Gamble, IBM, or DuPont (all places he has spoken). "Traylor was born with cerebral palsy. But he was also born with an insatiable hunger to take on challenges, and overcome them.
Traylor does not come to groups with a formula like "10 Steps to Being Successful." Instead, he simply tells his story, talks about what has driven him to to reject his "disability" with a vengeance, and urges his listeners to do the same.
“I remember waking up as a six-year-old from an ether-induced sleep in the darkened recovery room after yet another in a series of corrective operations. I was in great pain. A state with which I had become all too familiar.
My mother sat next to the bed, gripping my hand. Glancing up at her, I caught a tear rolling down her cheek. Any emotion which she may have felt was overshadowed by her optimism as she said, ‘Jerry, one of these days, things are going to be better.’”
Born with cerebral palsy, Jerry faced physical pain and loneliness that few children ever know. Yet it was this early difficulty that drew individuals to Jerry in caring and love. Others empowered him to set goals and achieve greatness even in his imperfection.
On crutches, Jerry has
· Skied down Colorado mountains
· Competed in 35 full-length marathons
· Parachuted from an altitude of 12,500 feet
· Climbed to the 14, 110-foot top of Pike’s Peak
· Participated in 16 dance marathons for charity
· Jogged 3528 miles from San Francisco to New York City
Now as a motivational speaker, he shares his inspirational story with audiences across the globe. He as spoken to over 1 million people in 4000 audiences and been featured in the national media, including Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story and The Larry King Show.