Billy Lister: From Oblivion to Enrapture: How Two Wheels brought Light to the Eclipse of Stroke (Part II)
Billy Lister: From Oblivion to Enrapture: How Two Wheels brought Light to the Eclipse of Stroke (Part II)
Billy Lister is a United States Paralympian, is a member of the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team; and is a full-time Elite Cyclist. He currently splits his residency between the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO and his home in San Diego, CA. Billy is training for the next Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020. He is also on Instagram at billylisterIII & Twitter at billylisterIII
Time started to pass as if I was the tortoise in a race against the hare; I was for the first time reveling in my life, as my new mindset was becoming amplified - I started to realize I have all the time in the world.
Recovery has a vast array of embodiment. After finding an active lifestyle anew, for me, recovery was not about returning to the function of the young boy I never knew needed to be guarded… until it was too late.
But rather recovery turned into an allegiance toward EVERYDAY.
It matters not I can only use 5 fingers or toes, rehabilitation isn't 60 minutes in an OT/PT office three days a week… it is a 1,440 minutes, 24 hour, 7 day a week, 365 day a year intellect - It is LIFE.
Actualizing such sentiment was colossal, but for me was designed in such a way that the aftermath of the equation IS SIMPLE.
One of the greatest fortitudes I’ve been afforded is time, living over half my life as a stroke survivor and a disabled individual. The endowment of time has manifested itself and has grown into an avalanche of dedication - galvanizing my professional cycling career and life.
The mask I wore for many years after my stroke was not emblematic of the persona I was born with.
Re-invention is indispensable to the expansion of a life with stroke survival and disability.
Professional cycling and becoming a United States Paralympian was not my paramount revolution... the radical stimulus was deciding to say ‘YES’ to everything instead of ‘NO’ - the remainder just falls into place.
Simplicity in 2 Wheels is what saved my life.
Join me by becoming part of CycleNation! Together we will ignite a health revolution to stop the cycle of stroke and heart disease.
CycleNation is Nationally Sponsored By Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease and CycleBar. To learn more about how you can take action and live healthy, click here.
