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The NSF proudly presents the inspiring story of Bonner Paddock and his climb to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in support of United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County and the Early Care & Education Center.
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CONTACT
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As of 7/22/08, 5:00 PM
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Bonner Paddock
Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships
Anaheim Ducks & Honda Center
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ORGANIZATION
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United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County
kili.ucp-oc.org
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PROGRAM TITLE
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KILI '08, Climb Without Limits!
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OBJECTIVES
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To Bonner Paddock, “Impossible Is Nothing”. But shortly after 4:13 a.m., on May 22, 1975, nothing happened. Instead of hearing a newborn baby crying, a Fontana delivery-room doctor was saving the life of a newborn baby. With the umbilical cord twice wrapped around his neck, Bonner’s fragile 8-pound, 2-ounce frame, more specifically the cerebral area that controls motor movement, was being deprived of oxygen. During Bonner’s first few moments in this world, his God-given strength and will was already being tested. Little did he know his first triumph would have a significant impact on his life and the lives of others.
A Survivor's Perseverance
Walking at the ripe age of 13 months was normal; however, walking with his toes touching the ground at almost a 90-degree angle was not. Without sufficient balance, Bonner frequently stumbled over his own feet which led to tantrums in grade school when he would become bloodied and bruised, frustrated and embarrassed. But the courage and strength to get up and try and try again saw him fitted for heavy saddle shoes as a baby and both of his legs encased in casts to straighten and stretch out his muscles during the third grade. The leg casts also took a toll on Bonner’s mother, Andrea. She was the one who scrubbed the dirt off Bonner’s casts after his baseball games. Even if he “felt like a lab rat,” “he was just a kid,” says Bonner’s mother. “I had to let him play like the other kids. Sports made him happy.” That was evident as Bonner followed his older brothers, Matt and Mike, to the baseball diamond as a switch-hitter, to the basketball court as sharpshooter, and to the soccer field as a skilled goalkeeper. It took a great amount of mental strength for a child younger than nine years old to maintain a normal life. Doctors told Bonner that he may have ADD and the fatal disorder of syringomyelia, where a cyst in his spinal cord would expand causing paralysis and eventually death. Despite doctors’ predictions, in which he would be wheelchair bound at the age of 15 and dead by 20, Bonner kept his head up.
A Golden Starr
Bonner and his family never really spoke about the struggles he endured as a child. “What was said at the doctor’s office never really left that room,” recalls Bonner. Around the time Bonner turned 11, his oldest brother Mike was suffering from dreadful headaches, due to falling off a weight bench while working out as a member of the freshman crew team at the University of California, Irvine. Mike was then referred to a world renowned doctor by the name of Arnold Starr, of the UCI Department of Neurology. Dr. Starr was the chair of Neurology and was highly respected throughout the medical field for his innovative research. When asked about neurological problems in his family, Mike noted Bonner’s condition. Immediately Dr. Starr knew something was off- an individual could not be diagnosed with syringomyelia without being administered an MRI, therefore, Bonner had been misdiagnosed. After his first meeting with Dr. Starr, Bonner had hope of being correctly diagnosed and treated. During the next few visits, Dr. Starr administered a series of walking tests with Bonner’s eyes opened and closed, reflex tests on his knees and elbows, and an electrical impulse test. After the tests and more consulting from Dr. Starr, it was concluded that Bonner had a minor form of cerebral palsy. Thousands of hours of physical therapy ensued, but Bonner got his life back. His condition would not get any worse.
Inspiration
Given the license to live his life, Bonner began playing soccer again. He even made Rancho Margarita High School’s soccer team as a freshman thanks in part to learning goalkeeping techniques from soccer videos. But another gain was temporarily lost when he broke his left arm playing basketball, ending his high school soccer career. Undeterred, Bonner stayed involved as team manager and remained friends with his teammates. He kept his skills sharp by playing competitive indoor soccer and soon joined his friends at Concordia University’s soccer program. Cerebral palsy was not an issue, as Bonner earned a soccer scholarship to Concordia and still holds some school records.
Flash forward to 2004 and the National Hockey League’s player lockout. As an employee of the Anaheim Ducks and Honda Center, Bonner and his colleagues were encouraged to take up philanthropic duties in the community. Bonner partnered up with United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County. From survivor to role model, Bonner interacted with children who were restricted to wheelchairs, some who were unable to walk or speak, but his strength and personality was felt by the children and seen in the faces of their parents. This was a perfect place for Bonner to share his strength, hope, and determination to those less fortunate. He understood there was a life to live outside the limits of cerebral palsy. Bonner continues to show that nothing is impossible, with or without cerebral palsy. After completing the OC (Orange County) Marathon in January 2007, raising $20,000 for UCP of Orange County, Bonner will only go up from here, literally.
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Bonner and his neighbor Geoff at Crystal Cove Park in Southern California
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
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Bonner was given the Life Without Limits Award at the UCP-OC Gala in October 2007. The award recognizes an individual who embodies and champions UCP-OC’s vision of Life Without Limits in a way that dramatically makes a difference in the lives of children in the Orange County community. It was that night Bonner made public his next feat, Climb Without Limits.
Bonner and 10 team members will climb the world’s largest free standing mountain standing 19,340 feet, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. His goal is to not only reach the summit, but to raise $250,000 with all of the money going towards UCP-OC’s Early Care and Education Center, “a model, inclusive childcare center where every child feels accepted. The facility will provide quality childcare for children, with and without disabilities.” 100% of all financial donations and sponsorships will directly support the Center, as all expenses related to the trip will be paid for by the climbers and Oakley, who will be providing the gear.
Bonner would like people to be aware of the expedition, cerebral palsy, and the cause he truly is passionate about. He inspires kids with cerebral palsy and disabilities to push their own limits higher and to test the boundaries of their life, just as he does within his own. His number one goal is to continue to show everybody, “that if you put your mind to it, it can be accomplished” states Bonner. That age old cliché was always preached by Bonner’s grandpa, his main inspiration. He was the one who taught him that 99% of all things are mental and that the mind is the strongest muscle.
To prepare himself for the climb, five times a week, Bonner has 5 a.m. morning workouts with his trainer, a former bodybuilder. In addition, his afternoons consist of shorter training climbs and then twice a week Bonner blazes 10 mile paths through Crystal Cove State Park, something he has already done over twenty times.
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Bonner trail blazing down a hill at Crystal Cove
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MEDIA
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Bonner has received some unique local and national attention. He has been featured in the Orange County Register, KOCE Real Orange, 97.1 Free FM, Time Warner SoCal News, CNN.com, and BBC/worldnews.com. In addition, Kent Bassett and Mitchell McIntire, two members of Bonner’s climbing team, are directing and producing Bonner’s “Climb Without Limits” Documentary.
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PARTNERS
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Bonner would like to thank his sponsors: Anaheim Ducks, Honda Center, Oakley, Herbalife, DLD Insurance Brokers Inc., Citizens Business Bank, Toyo Tires, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Nutritional Consultant Dr. Luigi of Herbalife, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University, and Safari Express Company. Continued thanks and appreciation goes out to all of the people who have donated to Bonner’s goal of $250,000 and those who continue to support Bonner in his expedition.
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We hope Bonner gets the chance to smile at 19,340 feet
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LOOKING AHEAD
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Climb Without Limits officially begins on Monday, September 1, 2008 when the group climbs to Shira 1 Camp at 11,645 feet. On the sixth day, Bonner hopes to be on the summit. He admits that he is a bit worried about the final leg of the climb. The final stretch will come at night, when his cerebral palsy may be a factor. Darkness is the most difficult setting for Bonner to maintain his equilibrium and balance. One thing is certain as Bonner states, “I’ll be harnessed to a guide as we climb the summit, and my friend, who is a former Army Ranger, will help me get to the top. I’ll find my way up there somehow. I’ve come this far.”
He has outlived all expectations and has created lifelong impressions along the way, all while doing it with a smile. Nothing is impossible to Bonner Paddock, because there is only one way to live life, a life without limits.
To help Bonner reach his goal of $250,000 for the Early Care & Education Center of Orange County, CA, please click the "donate now" image above or click here.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL SPORTS FORUM
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