On Inspiring Others
Jonah is currently involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), an organization that helps people overcome physical challenges so that people with them can lead active lifestyles and compete in athletic events. “That’s been dear to my heart from day 1! Being able see them trying new experiences in life they thought they’d never have the chance doing—running, hiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, biking, whatever it may be! Seeing that fills me with such happiness.”
Even from a young age, Jonah was all about spreading that positive, can-do attitude to others. “Working with the Wounded Warrior Project and making the Vets smile is one of my favorite memories from my childhood.” For Jonah, it’s important that he reminds others that having a disability is no reason to give up on life. Instead, as he puts it, it’s about finding a way to turn your DISABILITY into an ABILITY.
His mom, Steffini, recalls: “The doctors said he would never walk. But even after his legs were amputated, even with the stitches still in the bottoms of his stumps, he just ran across the living room floor.” And Jonah’s been running ever since.
Another great organization for Jonah has been Stride Adaptive Sports. “Flying out to Massachusetts and skiing with other amputees and others with different types of deformities,” Jonah recalls. “Being able to enjoy the slopes with them, seeing their drive and determination to shred some snow. Watching others who have gone through worse than I have and seeing them live life to the fullest. That gave me the understanding that moto: I don’t have legs, so what? So . . . what’s stopping you?”
From the very jump, Jonah has found inspiration in others around him, using it as fuel to experience life. And it started close to home with his sister. His skateboarding life started at the age of 4, when he grabbed his sister’s board from the garage. “I wanted to be just like her,” he says. “She was a skater at the time.” Jonah knew he’d have some challenges with balance—especially then—until he decided to sit on the board and use his hands. “After I figured that out, skateboarding became my life!”
And what a life it’s been!
It’s that “see-a-challenge/overcome-a-challenge” experimental attitude that’s helped Jonah go from skateboarding to skiing, then to snowboarding. The sky’s the limit!
