When you’re 18, you’re in the prime of your life. Your best years are ahead of you. You’re filled with ENERGY and EXCITEMENT as you finally reach adulthood. Your prospects are bright and you feel like nothing can stop you now. But in a flash, your life can change forever. Chris Norton was a college freshman defensive back until he sustained a devastating injury while making a tackle during a game in 2010, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. After years of hard work, he DEFIED THE ODDS and regained limited mobility in some parts of his body. He didn’t know it at the time, but his life was about to change dramatically again. Chris captured hearts everywhere when he walked across the stage to accept his college diploma in 2015. The video from that day racked up more than 300 MILLION views. Three years later, People magazine created another viral moment when they filmed Chris’s walk of 7 yards down the aisle at his marriage. He used his notoriety to start the Chris Norton Foundation and has become a leading advocate in helping people with neuromuscular injuries and disabilities. His story was chronicled in the book The Seven Longest Yards and captured in the Netflix documentary 7 Yards. It was an honor for me to talk with Chris and tell share the story about a man who refused to give up and relied on his FAITH to overcome one of the most crushing challenges I can think of. Chris pulls no punches talking about how he was injured and how difficult those early days of his injury were. As he tried to HEAL both his body and mind, Chris reveals how people close to him, including his parents, nurse, and his wife Emily, helped him get through the tears and the daily demands he placed on himself. I was also struck by how SELFLESS Chris is because he made it his calling was to OVERCOME his pain and his struggles for a greater purpose by INSPIRING others to face their challenges as well. His story reminds us that have so much to be THANKFUL for in our lives, no matter what has happened in our past. If you’re down or feeling you can’t overcome the obstacles life has thrown at you, Chris’s story will help you find inspiration and RESILIENCE as you face your own challenges.