Walker turns disability into ability
“I said, ‘Well, I can’t play football,’ I said, ‘so I’m gonna pick up me some weights.’ I said almost, ‘I’m gonna show that I’m strong in another way.’ So, I started picking up weights, … off a whim. I had no training, no parental supervision, nothing. I picked up an eight pound and a 10 pound. I picked up eight pounds because my right hand was weaker than my left. … My focus was to build my right hand so I could match my left. Once I got that down pat, I just used to shut the door and I used to go to work. I would come up with whole exercise regimens and stuff like that. Over time, I became known as ‘the buff guy that’s in the wheelchair.’ “
Zarius Walker – amateur bodybuilder, disability rights advocate, and motivational speaker – joins Alabama Care to talk about his journey with cerebral palsy.
Show links:
- Introduction
- Growing up with cerebral palsy
- What instances do you feel you missed out on due to your disability?
- The impact of weightlifting on Zarius’ life
- How was the transition into adult life after high school?
- Importance of work and difficulties with Social Security and disability
- Relationship with ADRS and the difficulties involved
- Driving with a disability
- Dating with a disability
- Experience with YouTube
- Three ideas for future broadcasts for Zarius
- Take the “dis” out of disability
Alabama Care is partially supported by the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (http://www.acdd.org/). The views expressed are not necessarily the views of these organizations.