IN THIS ISSUE:

THIS REVEILLE HOME PAGE

WINNERS DON'T QUIT!

A LITTLE BREAKFAST MUSIC

Salvatori Fireside

VALENTINE DINE-AROUND

Foundation Report

FRIDAY POTPOURRI

Reveille Reaches 15!

Agros Gets Check

Centennial Project

SAA Martinka Returns

WEB FUN

Winners Don’t Quit!

As advertised, Al Foxx drove himself to the Glendale Country Club Friday and walked into the meeting room to share his experiences with the BBRC. His program is called “Winners Don’t Quit,” and he showed a special bit of grit and gutsiness to bring his story to Rotary. Al was also highly entertaining as he spun his tale in a humorous way.

Al Foxx’s story began in 1980 when he was 18 years old. He’d been visiting a friend and lost track of time. He was late and jumped on his motorcycle and sped away. Unfortunately for Al, the cycle crashed, leaving him half-paralyzed and brain injured. His helmet cracked on impact and the police later reported to him he was going twice the speed limit at the time of the accident.

Thirty days after the accident, Al awoke in the hospital. He was informed by doctors and nurses alike that he wouldn’t walk, talk or drive again. The crash had damaged his larynx, so he couldn’t talk. A slow process of rehabilitation began, and Al harbored resentment for what had happened to him. At the same time, he loved attention, and one day, his speech therapist gave him a reason for living. She said, “Winners don’t quit,” which gave him the prescription for trying to change his situation.

Al, who still has a raspy voice, cleared his throat and said, “It’s a hair ball, from licking the cat!” After a couple of voice-clearing attempts, Bob Vallat brought a glass of water to him, which solved the problem.

Al learned to focus on “what you get, not on what you don’t.” He told the story about his rehab when he visited a work-out gym. “They had these neat Nautilus machines. I moved from one to the other, working to get my beat-up body in shape. When I got off the last machine, and hobbled out the door, several people saw me and turned around and left! They thought the machines had done me in!”

At this point, Al’s life started changing, as he accepted reality. “I learned that I mustn’t give up. I learned that life is like a sailboat É the sails change direction as the wind changes. I learned that my destination was to be happy no matter the direction.”

Al has taken his powerful message of perseverance to many schools in the area. Now, he reaches out to school children to bring them a message of hope, inspiration and the desire to live a happy life.

In addition to accepting reality, Al learned he must believe in himself. “After I was released from rehab, I knew I’d have to believe that I could walk again. My goal was to conquer the sidewalk around my block in Seattle. I must have fallen a million times, but I learned that what mattered was I got back up. My self-esteem was shot at this point. I was ashamed of myself, but with effort, I found I could feel good about myself.”

Another bout with the hair ball brought this story: “Before I had learned to talk again, all I could do was utter moaning sounds. I was out trying to negotiate that sidewalk one day, when a panhandler approached and asked for money. That made me mad, so I lunged at him, with these groaning and moaning sounds, trying to show my displeasure. He ended up giving me money!”

Another element of his new life was to contribute to others. Al found he could listen to people and show he cared about them. “I learned to give myself to others. I was self-centered, but I found out that others needed my message more than me feeling sorry for myself. During this time, I learned to drive all over again.” He also learned that comedy is a great equalizer. He’s learned how to deliver lines É and punchlines É for greatest effect. Al's audience cracked up several times with his stories and great one-liners.

Al is currently working on a biography of his life. His next project is to write a novel. Twenty-four years after the accident, Al is taking his story to anyone who’ll listen. He’s looking for sponsors to help him get into schools where he can deliver his message. For more information, visit Al’s website or call 1-888-550-FOXX.

Thanks to Steve Goldfarb for his introduction. Al received a certificate indicating the BBRC was donating a book to a blind student in his name.

TOP

CLICK HERE
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BBRC CENTENNIAL PROJECT

CLICK HERE
FOR THE WINNER OF THE 2003 RAFFLE!