Kyle Maynard

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Kyle Maynard
Born (1986-03-24) March 24, 1986 (age 38)
Washington, D.C.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Motivational speaker, author, No Excuses CrossFit gym owner
Awards2004 ESPY-Best Disabled Athlete, National Wrestling Hall of Fame, GNC's Worlds Strongest Teen, Presidents Award for the Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame, U.S. Jaycees Top Ten Outstanding Young Americans. 2012 ESPY-Male Athlete with a Disability
Websitekyle-maynard.com

Kyle Maynard (born March 24, 1986) is an American speaker, author and mixed martial arts athlete, known for becoming the first quadruple amputee to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics. He is also founder of the No Excuses Crossfit gym.

Early sports career[edit]

Kyle Maynard

Although he was born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, where fibrous bands prevent the development of fetal limbs, Maynard decided to pursue involvement in sports, first in youth league football, where he played nose tackle for the Collins Hill National Eagles at age 11.[1][2] He wrestled in high school, ultimately winning 36 matches in his senior year of high school.[3][4] He went on to place 12th in the 103-pound weight class.[5] Maynard also began weight training, and was awarded the title of GNC's World's Strongest Teen by bench pressing 23 repetitions of 240 lbs.[6]

The same year, he received the ESPN Espy Award for Best Athlete With A Disability in 2004.[7] Maynard appeared in both Vanity Fair and the Abercrombie & Fitch Stars on the Rise catalog.[8] He was also the recipient of the 2004 President's Award for the Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.[9] He went on to attend the University of Georgia and was a part of their wrestling team, but left shortly after starting his education to promote his book and pursue a speaking career.[10][11][12] While attending the University of Georgia, he began work as a speaker for the Washington Speaker's Bureau, specializing in motivational speeches.[13] He was also featured on talk shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live.[14][15]

No Excuses[edit]

Kyle Maynard in his uniform for the Collins Hill National Eagles.

In 2005, Maynard wrote the New York Times Bestselling autobiography, No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life.[16] Published by Regnery Publishing, the book made the New York Times Bestseller list, peaking at number 12.[17][18] Shortly after, he was inducted into both the Georgia State Wrestling Hall of Fame and as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Oklahoma.[19] In 2007, he was named one of the U.S. Jaycees Top Ten Outstanding Young Americans.[20] In 2017, Maynard was featured on the cover of DIVERSEability magazine's Fall 2016 issue.

No Excuses Crossfit Gym[edit]

In 2008, Maynard opened No Excuses Crossfit gym, a crossfit-intensive facility located in Suwanee, GA.[21][22]

MMA career[edit]

In 2005, Maynard began training in mixed martial arts (MMA), and was denied a fighter's license by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission in 2007, before opting to fight in Alabama, where MMA was unregulated.[23] His amateur debut fight was at Auburn Fight Night at the Auburn Covered Arena in Auburn, Alabama on April 25, 2009.[24] He lost the fight to Bryan Fry on a 30–27 judges' decision.[25]

In 2010, he was the subject of a documentary film, A Fighting Chance, which focused on his MMA efforts.[26] Directed by Takashi Doscher and Alex Shofner and was produced Ted Leonsis, the film was later released on DVD, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit wounded veterans.[27]

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
1 match 0 wins 1 loss
By knockout 0 0
By submission 0 0
By decision 0 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
win 100-46 Bryan Fry Decision (unanimous) April 25, 2009 3 5:00 Auburn, Alabama

Ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro[edit]

Maynard is the first quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics.

In 2011, it was announced that Maynard was planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics.[28] To prepare for the climb, he trained at a series of locations around the US, including Stone Mountain and Blood Mountain in Georgia, Winter Park in Colorado, and Camelback Mountain in Arizona, with expedition co-leader, Dan Adams,[29][30] testing and developing equipment that included welding sleeves and rubber bicycle tires attached to his body with heavy-duty tape.[31] Soon, an organization called Orthotic Specialists got involved, and owners Barb and Brett Boutin created custom equipment with Vibram soles, based on molds of Maynard's arms and legs.[32][33]

The climb, intended to raise awareness for wounded American military veterans, included a team consisting of former members of the U.S. military with injuries and conditions including shrapnel wounds, post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.[34][35][36] The mission also donated $25,000 worth of medical supplies to the Mwereni Integrated School for the Blind in Moshi, Tanzania.[37] Guided by Kevin Cherilla of K2 Adventures Foundation, the group began their climb on January 6, 2012, with 16 days allotted for the climb.[38][39] On January 15, 2012, Maynard became the first quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro without assistance, by crawling all 19,340 feet in just 10 days.[40][41] In 2012, he was awarded his second ESPY for best male athlete with a disability for completing the climb.[42]

Nike Commercial[edit]

In August, 2016, Kyle appeared in a commercial as part of Nike's "Unlimited" series. The video has been viewed over 1.5 million times.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "congenital amputation - definition of congenital amputation in the Medical dictionary - by the Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia". Medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  2. ^ "CNN/SI - Football - Kid Courageous - November 4, 1997". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 1997-11-04. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  3. ^ "Supersport: Kyle Maynard". The Dispatch. February 10, 2004. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Kyle Maynard gives 'No Excuses' speech at the National High School Wrestling Championships for his | Liberty University". Liberty.edu. 2011-10-21. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  5. ^ "Nov04". Coachwyatt.com. 2004-11-07. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  6. ^ "Physical Online". Physicalmag.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  7. ^ "Kyle Maynard, Congenital Amputee, To Fight, MMA Weekly, 25 April 2009. From a press release by Undisputed Productions.
  8. ^ Marco R. della Cava, USA TODAY (2004-11-18). "USATODAY.com - Wrestler's world is never limited by his disability". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  9. ^ "Kyle Maynard | University of the Southwest". Usw.edu. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  10. ^ "The Heart Of A Champion". CBS News. 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  11. ^ Darnell, Josh. "Georgia Magazine: Up Close With Kyle Maynard". Uga.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  12. ^ Athlete, Motivational Speaker, No Excuses Author, CrossFit Gym Owner – Motivational Speaking Archived 2011-05-10 at the Wayback Machine. Kyle Maynard. Retrieved on 2012-01-13.
  13. ^ "Kyle Maynard - Washington Speakers Bureau". Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  14. ^ "Kyle Maynard on Oprah". YouTube. 2011-09-27. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  15. ^ "CNN.com - Transcripts". Transcripts.cnn.com. 2004-11-29. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  16. ^ Maynard, Kyle (1988-04-30). No Excuses!: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in ... - Kyle Maynard - Google Books. Regnery. ISBN 9781596980105. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  17. ^ "Bestsellers - Regnery Publishing, Inc". Regnery.com. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  18. ^ Phillips, Angela. "Kyle Maynard's book, No Excuses, ranked No. 20 on New York Times bestseller list | TheMat.com - USA Wrestling". TheMat.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-18. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  19. ^ Interview by Dena Ross (2011-02-17). "Interview with Kyle Maynard, a high school wrestler with congenital amputation, who proves he's anything but disabled". Beliefnet.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  20. ^ "Kyle Maynard - No Excuses". Tom2tall.com. 2013-07-26. Archived from the original on 2013-05-23. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  21. ^ No Excuses Crossfit Gym | Exercise and Fitness with a sense of Community. Noexcusescrossfit.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-13.
  22. ^ "Make fitness resolution fun if you want it to last". www.ajc.com. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  23. ^ "Kyle Maynard about to make his MMA dream come true - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 2009-04-24. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  24. ^ "Kyle Maynard's MMA truth revealed Saturday; Will consequence follow? | News –". Mmajunkie.com. 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  25. ^ "Maynard loses MMA fight on judges' decision - USATODAY.com". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. 2009-04-26. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  26. ^ "Kyle Maynard's MMA Fight Was All About Experience". MMA Fighting. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  27. ^ "A Fighting Chance". Fightingchancemovie.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  28. ^ "Kyle Maynard's toughest challenge: Mission Kilimanjaro 2012". Suwanee Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  29. ^ "Congenital amputee who loves challenges trains for Mount Kilimanjaro" CNN. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
  30. ^ "Mission Kilimanjaro Inspires One (Steep) Step at a Time" College of the Holy Cross Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
  31. ^ Adams, Dan. "Training Overview »". Missionkilimanjaro.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  32. ^ "Board Members - K2Adventures.org". Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  33. ^ Adams, Dan (2013-05-08). "Training Overview »". Missionkilimanjaro.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  34. ^ "Update: Kyle Maynard Makes it to Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro | Zacuto USA". Zacuto.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  35. ^ "Georgia man with no arms and no legs trains to climb Mount Kilimanjaro". NY Daily News. 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  36. ^ "Injured Soldier climbs Kilimanjaro to inspire others | Article | The United States Army". Army.mil. 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  37. ^ "Project Kilimanjaro". Allvoices.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  38. ^ Baunfire.com. "Happenings ¦ K2". K2adventures.org. Archived from the original on 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  39. ^ Milligan, Mandi (2010-05-01). "Quad amputee reaches summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro - CBS 5". KPHO. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  40. ^ "Kyle Maynard, Quadruple Amputee, Reaches Mt. Kilimanjaro Peak". The Huffington Post. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  41. ^ warrenmac   -   Posted January 15, 2012 (2012-01-15). "Kyle Maynard Kilimanjaro Summit - CNN iReport". Ireport.cnn.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  42. ^ "Kyle Maynard wins second ESPY". Gwinnett Daily Post. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-30.

External links[edit]

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