Israel continued, “The bus took off at exactly 9 a.m that fateful day. My phone’s battery was down and I needed to charge it. I was trying to fix the driver’s car charger so that I could use it to charge my phone when I heard a loud bang. That was the last thing I remembered. I woke up in a hospital with bandages and some gadgets bound all over my body. There was an accident- it was a head-on collision with another bus. I was told that both the driver and the other passenger that sat beside me didn’t make it. The driver died instantly while the passenger died the next day in the hospital. I had been in a coma for one week, I was told. It was later revealed to me that I had lost communication with my legs and must have them amputated to save my life. The bones were crushed and the nerve endings badly damaged. Nothing else could save me. I sacrificed those legs to save my life. The amputated legs and a scar on my right shoulder etched the incidents of that Monday morning on my mind. However, I refused to blame myself for what happened that morning. Each time I analyzed the incident, I refused to blame myself for not letting go of the seat. I saw the accident as my journey towards a destined path. Riding in the second bus or any other might not have saved me.”
Israel wiped away the sweat on his forehead. “I was later discharged and I moved on with my life. I had to readjust to new ways of doing things. Life was tough with two legs but I had to accept the fact that I was going to live the rest of mine with none. It was hard to accept but at a point, I chose to start listening to motivational podcasts and reading motivational books anywhere I could find one. This had a stupendous effect on me. I knew immediately that I still had the chance to choose how the remaining part of my life unfolds. I woke up one day and started visiting the gym. I did it initially to stay fit because I had been stuck in bed for too long- both in the hospital and at home. I had been advised by some health-personnel to see if I could get my body and limbs busy. It was in one of my visits to the gym that I met James who introduced himself as a fitness trainer. He told me that he was fascinated by my zeal and commitment. He would go on to introduce me to the dynamics and basic principles in weightlifting. I later went ahead to represent my country at the world weightlifting championship. That moment became a great honour and the apotheosis of my career.”
REFLECTION
Life is all about how we react to one thing; what happens to us. It is more like looking at a glass of water filled halfway as either half full or half empty. Whatever message you pass to your subconscious mind decides the withdrawals you make from it.
Israel refused to succumb to adversity. Refusing to play the victim of his circumstances was a mighty step in becoming who he ended up to be. The average person would have submitted completely to disability. But he found a great ability where most people would not succeed.
