Chad Crittenden: Losing A Right Foot But Never Slowing Down
Most people are born into their culture. They grow up surrounded by traditions, cultural norms and people who instill the values of that culture into them as they grow. It is part of their identities from the beginning, and they can’t remember a time when they didn’t think of themselves as Black, Native American, Jewish, Swedish, Korean or Kenyan.
But for many people who became disabled at some point in their lives, the culture and realities of the “differently-abled” must be learned. New sensitivities suddenly dominate their daily routines.
For CHAD CRITTENDEN, that awakening came in adulthood. He was already out of college, married with a child, and working as a teacher in California when he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in his foot. For the lifelong athlete and marathon runner, the diagnosis was initially devastating. When his doctors amputated his leg below the knee, he knew his life was changed forever.
Although he would continue to compete athletically in sporting events with a prosthesis, Chad knew he was now part of a new culture.
“As an amputee and as a member of the challenged and disabled community, I have a wide variety of experiences relating to how the general public reacts to someone with a physical difference,” Crittenden said. “Dealing with preconceived notions and perceptions surrounding my disability definitely taught me the importance of empathy as a leadership quality.”
Chad gained notoriety when he appeared on the CBS reality television series Survivor. As the first contestant going head-to-head in physical challenges with other contestants, Chad helped to dispel many misconceptions about what people with disabilities can achieve. He now travels nationwide sharing his unique perspective on leadership with college students. His program “Acknowledging Diverse Minds, Bodies and Souls” broadens the topic of multicultural leadership to include those who discover the role in a new culture later in life.
“We work to break down the lack of sensitivity that exists in our student communities,” Crittenden said. “Effective student leaders are those who begin by making an effort to understand others’ perspectives, and who then use that sensitivity to build trusting relationships.”
Losing his right foot to cancer gave Chad a chance to prove himself on the CBS hit reality show, and since that time, he has not slowed down. Between triathlons, snowboarding, and the typical challenges of life, Chad’s latest major accomplishment was training for and racing in the New York City Marathon.
Gaining inspiration from his friend Ethan Zohn‘s battle with cancer, Chad worked to raise funds for Ethan’s charity Grassroot Soccer as he trained to be part of the GRS team in New York City. Using a specialized “running foot”, Chad dedicated endless hours and hundreds of miles of training over several months. Many of the same mental techniques which helped him battle cancer and overcome a leg amputation were used for the training and the race itself.
Chad has used these concepts—which he calls Conceptual Tools—to overcome obstacles, put life into clear focus and achieve his goals. For more details and information about how these concepts are explained and can be applied to real life situations in a motivational program or for first year students, check out Chad’s other programs: Discover the Will to Survive and Getting Off on the Right Foot.
Chad ended up completing the NYC Marathon in 4 hours, 35 minutes, feeling proud to have conquered the mental and physical challenges of the grueling annual race. More importantly, he and the Grassroot Soccer NYC Marathon team raised thousands of dollars for GRS, and was there for Ethan as he waged the fight for his life…and won.
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