My first media experiences

My first t.v. appearance was as an eleven year old 6th grade nose tackle, where I was interviewed live on CNN. The interview aired around the world and I was more than a little nervous heading into it!

My parents decided to turn down subsequent media offers, as they did not want to take away from me having a normal childhood. Several years later, during my senior year of high school, my family and I were approached by HBO producers asking if they could tell my story on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumble. When the HBO piece aired, my parents and I received emails from people around the world saying the story helped them in significant ways. The appearance also gave me the opportunity to begin my passion of motivational speaking - where I can work to help people achieve things they never dreamt possible!

Winning the ESPY

Shortly after I graduated from high school in 2004, I was nominated by an ESPN committee as one of the top athletes with a disability. My parents, best friend Joey Leonardo, wrestling coach Cliff Ramos, and I were all invited to the awards show and charity events throughout the week - including a fundraiser for the V Foundation for Cancer Research at the Playboy Mansion! ...probably one of the milder parties Hugh has ever hosted.

ESPN.com hosted an international vote for the awards and after my success as a high school wrestler, I was voted by the public as the winner of the 2004 ESPY: Best Athlete with a Disability! I was blown away to receive the award, but more than anything, I was honored to represent the thousands of disabled athletes around the world, many of whom accomplished far more through conquering their adversity than I could ever hope to.

No Excuses becomes a NY Times Bestseller

In 2005, while I was a full-time student at the University of Georgia, my story appeared on the cover of USA Today and the article created a media buzz that lead to my first appearance on the Larry King Live show. I received several thousand emails the night of the interview - including many inspirational messages of the hope people said I provided for them.

That same night, I received an email from Jeff Carneal, President of the parent company over Regnery Publishing, who published my book, No Excuses. Jeff invited me to Regnery's headquarters in Washington D.C. and later that night I flew back home to Atlanta with a book proposal in hand!

In March 2005, I started writing the book in my freshman dorm room at UGA while maintaining a full class load. At first it felt like a never-ending paper. Sometimes I would have to deliver 10,000 to 15,000 words a week to the editor at Regnery, but all the hard work ended up paying off in a very powerful way. The book debuted with interviews on The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC's 20/20, and a second appearance on Larry King Live. Jeff's email had certainly changed my life forever. I spent the next several years traveling and endeavoring to inspire and motivate audiences in the U.S. and around the world!