Tony Christiansen
Anthony (Tony) Steven Christiansen (born 23 October 1958) is a world-leading motivational and inspirational speaker. He authored the best-sellers Race You To The Top, Attitude Plus! and Don't Just Sit There. In his presentations, he talks about self-belief which is the secret to his success[1] and he speaks from a scaffolding which stuns his audience.[2][3]
Early Life [4]
Christiansen was born in Tauranga, New Zealand. His father Bernard worked in a timber yard and his mother Doreen was a homemaker who immigrated to New Zealand from England after the World War II. He is the youngest of 3 siblings which include brother Frank and sister Susan.
Hit By A Train
On the morning of 3 June 1967 which was Queen's Birthday weekend, Christiansen had followed friend Gary Winters and his father Mick to the railway yard near Te Maunga to bag coal for sale to raise money for charity. As the 2 children were crossing the tracks, the train shunted backwards dragging Christiansen under and the dual set of wheels ran over his legs almost severing them. [5]
As a result of this accident, both his legs could not be saved and were amputated. 48 hours after the accident, Christiansen was found sitting up in a wheelchair and in good spirits.[5]
Extraordinary Achievements
Christiansen very quickly got on with life after his wounds healed. His extraordinary achievements following the accident made him New Zealand's most notable motivational speaker[6] and one of the world's most interesting.[2]
Confidence in the Water
After his accident, many people including strangers, visited Christiansen and wanted to help. Among them, 2 people made a significant difference to Christiansen’s life. They were swimming coaches Dave Franklin and Allan Guthrie.[7]
Even before his accident, Christiansen hated water but Franklin and Guthrie were very persistent in teaching the now disabled young boy how to swim. Within 5 months of his first lesson, less than a year after his accident, Christiansen at 10 years of age, swam a mile non-stop.[8]
The following year, Christiansen joined the Tauranga Swimming Club and continued to improve as a swimmer while he became physically stronger. He set a goal to compete in the Tauranga mayor’s annual sponsored swimming race held by the Lions Club.
On 6 May 1971, Christiansen came just behind the mayor Bob Owen in that 2-mile race [9] and in February 1974, he beat the mayor in the Annual Harbour “Swimathon”. [10]
Surf Lifesaving
During his years in school, Christiansen was alienated from most of the physical activities. In his fifth form, week-long school camps were held, none of which he could participate in. As a result, his old swimming coach Dave Franklin invited him to join the surf lifesaving camp at the Omanu surf club. By the end of that week, Christiansen earned his surf lifesaving Bronze Medallion (New Zealand and Australia) [11][12] and joined the Omanu Pacific Surf Lifesaving Club.
In 1978, Christiansen was granted a Special Achievement Award from World Life Saving [11][13] which today is known as the International Life Saving Federation. In the same year, he gained his instructor’s certificate.[13]
Christiansen remained a member of the Omanu Pacific Surf Lifesaving Club and worked as a surf lifeguard until the age of 23. He was also the club's canoe team captain.[11] Throughout his career as a surf lifesaver, Christiansen made 33 rescues.[2][7] He was believed to be the only paraplegic lifeguard in the Southern Hemisphere.[14]
Athletics Career & Representing New Zealand
Around the same time Christiansen got into surf lifesaving, he also become involved in the disabled sports movement. It wasn’t long before he set a goal to represent New Zealand internationally[15].
Christiansen trained for the National Disabled Games in Wellington and competed in wheelchair racing, shot put, discus, javelin and swimming. In 1972, he was nominated for a New Zealand Herald Junior Sports Award which he did not win but was recognized by the judges who included Yvette Corlett (1952 Olympic long jump champion), Murray Halberg and Don Oliver [16]. In 1976, he was nominated again and this time he won the award for paraplegic sports.[12]
During his career in athletics, Christiansen held several local records and was the area pentathlon champion in 1978.[11]
Christiansen’s other international sports achievements include:
- FESPIC Games, Oita Japan 1975 - Gold in javelin and 50 metres freestyle swimming; Silver in 100 metres wheelchair dash. [14][17]
- FESPIC Games, Sydney Australia 1977 – Gold in shot put, discus, javelin, pentathlon and 100 metres swim; silver in 50 metres freestyle swimming; bronze in snooker. [4]
- FESPIC Games, Hong Kong 1982 – Gold in discus, silver in javelin and basketball, bronze in shot put. [4]
Throughout his athletics career, Christiansen represented New Zealand 5 times at the World Games, FESPIC Games and Paralympic Games and won 35 medals including 12 golds, 17 silver and 6 bronze medals. [4][11]
The Successful Business[4]
In the book about his life, Race You To The Top, Christiansen described his performance in school as “having artistic talent but never very academic”.
While at school, Christiansen worked part-time doing signwriting jobs on stockcars and the same for Woolworths. These credentials later led to a job as a ticket writer in New World (supermarket). At the same time, he also worked for the Tauranga Museum where he learned many new skills. [15]
Christiansen tried applying for jobs with signwriting companies but his numerous attempts failed. He eventually hassled Lance Styles, the owner of Commercial Signs, enough to land a job. Within 3 months, he had proven himself and impressed Styles who made him foreman.
Christiansen later left Commercial Signs. In 1985, he returned and took a stake in the company. In 1995, he bought over the rest of the shareholding and became the sole owner of the company. For the next 2 years, he turned it into one of the largest commercial signwriting business in New Zealand and sold it in 1997 [2] to begin his career as a professional speaker.
Motor Sports
From a young age, Christiansen fell in love with cars and motor sports, picking up go-karting at the age of 12. He gave up the sport when he took up surf lifesaving but went back into motor sports at 26 and therein started competing on the race track. [18]
In order to drive, Christiansen integrates a hand control which are motorcycle-style twist throttle attached to a handle, in all his cars.[2][18][19][20] He names his midget race car “Toenails” and over the years have won several races locally at the Baypark Speedway[4][19] and domestically.[18][20] He also competed in the Pre-65 races in a Ford Zephyr Mark III[2][20][21] and made his sprint car debut at Western Springs in November 1996.[22]
Christiansen also participated in off-road races.[7][19][20] His race cars are usually a signature yellow colour.[18][19]
Martial Arts
Christiansen was introduced to martial arts in 1986 through one of his children who was taking Tae Kwon Do lessons[2] and he decided to aim for a black belt. He trained under Allan France and later under Master Kesi O’Neil after France moved to Australia.[4]
He obtained his Second Degree Black Belt in 1990 [7][23] and decided to move on to other things.
Pilot & Aviation History
Christiansen’s introduction to aviation started with radio-controlled planes which remains a passionate hobby.[4] He had met and was taught to fly by Phil Hooker, the Bay of Plenty Flight Centre’s chief flying instructor[24][25] whom Christiansen taught to fly radio-controlled planes. [24][26]
Christiansen flies a Cessna 172[24][25] with a portable hand control to move rudders and apply the brakes.[26]
On 24 March 1998,[4] Christiansen created aviation history when he became the first disabled New Zealander to fly solo.[7][26] According to a Civil Aviation Authority spokeswoman, Christiansen was the first person who had learned to fly from scratch with a disability.[26]
More Recent Achievements
Kilimanjaro[27]
In 2002, Christiansen was invited by Korean Broadcasting System to scale Mount Kilimanjaro with 2 other Koreans – Soo Young, a blind young woman and Hong Bin, an experienced mountaineer who lost all his fingers to frostbite on a climbing expedition in Canada.[28]
After about 2 weeks of preparations and media interviews in Korea, the group departed for Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and travelled onwards to Arusha in northern Tanzania. They spent 3 days filming in a village with the Masai people.
Christiansen climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in his mountain-climbing wheelchair as much as he could and the rest of the journey on his backside with only a pair of hi-tech, New Zealand-designed vinyl pants and a pair of gloves protecting him from the sharp volcanic rocks.[28]
The group reached the summit of the mountain on 21 December 2002. Christiansen reached Gilman’s Point, the second highest peak at 5,685 metres. He did not reach Uhuru, the highest peak at 5,895 metres as he admitted in his book that he could not physically go on through the incredibly steep and rough terrain at the summit. It was also snowing and raining and it was getting dark, all making it too dangerous to carry on.
It took Christiansen 10 hours to reach Gilman’s Point from Kibo Hut which is the last station on the Marangu Route, and only 2 hours to descent.
Christiansen’s Kilimanjaro experience is told in detail in his second book “Attitude Plus!”.[29] He considers his climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro one of his proudest moment. [30]
World’s Fastest Amputee
In 2008, having watched the movie “The World's Fastest Indian” 27 times on Air New Zealand flights, Christiansen was inspired to become “The World’s Fastest Amputee”.[31][32] He set a goal to attempt to reach 200 mph (321 kph) on the famed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.[31]
He set about modifying his C/Altered drag racer designed for a quarter mile strip into a salt flats racer that will run 8 miles (13kms) on the vast salt flats.[31]
Christiansen's efforts were filmed by TV NZ for a documentary programme which captured the emotional highs and lows of his Speedweek venture. He did not achieve this targeted speed of 200 mph, instead topped at 182 mph (293 kph).[33]
Personal Life
Christiansen married Elaine Walton (née Sumsion) on 27 October 1980, 4 days after his 21st birthday. She is 9 years older and a divorcee with a daughter Nicola from her first marriage. Nicola was 6 years old when they got married.[4]
Christiansen and Elaine have a daughter Danielle (born 1 March 1979) and a son Lucas (born 14 August 1982).[4] They also have 4 grandchildren Houston, Zavier, Armani and Tyler.
After almost 30 years marriage, Christiansen and Elaine separated in September 2009.
References
[4] [5] [6] [2] [3] [8] [9] [10] [11] [13] [14] [16] [12] [17] [15] [19] [18] [21] [20] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [7] [1] [28] [27] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
- ^ a b Meg Davidson. Motivator stresses self-belief. (p. 11). Southland Times, March 11, 2001
- ^ a b c d e f g h Erena Hodgkinson. Now That I Have Your Attention. NZ Today, Magazine of the New Zealand Drivers Club December/January, 2003/04
- ^ a b Sharon Course. Scaling the heights. Sunday News, Date needed
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Tony Christiansen with Liz Dobson. Race You To The Top. Harper Collins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited, 2007 ISBN 978 1 86950 358 1.
- ^ a b c Accident victim shows tremendous pluck and stoicism. Bay of Plenty Times, June 11, 1967
- ^ a b Michael Hanrahan. No legs no bar to achievement. Ashburton's The Courier, February 29, 2000
- ^ a b c d e f Jo McCaroll. Able to succeed. (p. D2). Sunday Star Times, August 13, 2000
- ^ a b Catherine Watson. Amputee meets life challenges head on. Rotorua Daily Post, January 14, 1988
- ^ a b Mayor is right in swim with $220. Bay of Plenty Times, March 7, 1971
- ^ a b Letter from the Chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr. R.W. Carr, February 27, 1974
- ^ a b c d e f Legless lifesaver: He's Got Guts!. Sunday News, Date needed
- ^ a b c Honoured For Prowess and Courage. New Zealand Herald, February 25, 1976
- ^ a b c World award surprises surf lifesaver. Bay of Plenty Times, November 3, 1978
- ^ a b c E.D. Kwok. Youngster Only Wheelchair From Winning. Bay of Plenty Times, April 9, 1977
- ^ a b c Sandy McPhie. Daddy No Legs. [That's Life (NZ)], October, 2000
- ^ a b Letter from the Editorial Department of the New Zealand Herald, February 13, 1972
- ^ a b Home with victory smiles. Bay of Plenty Times, June 7, 1975
- ^ a b c d e Colin Smith. The Kiwifruit Coasters. (p. 2). Timescan, December 16, 1988
- ^ a b c d e Louise Clifton. Amputee Tony Digs In His 'Toenails'. Publication name needed, Date needed
- ^ a b c d e Donn White. Drivers race to get cars ready. Bay of Plenty Times, September 28, 1994
- ^ a b Pre-65 Racing New Zealand
- ^ a b Colin Smith. Horsepower puts a smile on Tony's dial. (p. 12). Bay of Plenty Times, November 22, 1996
- ^ a b Certificate from the New Zealand Tae Kwon Do Federation. Signed by Jung Nam Lee - President
- ^ a b c d Rosaleen Macbrayne. Sky no limit to amputee's soaring ambition. New Zealand Herald, Date needed
- ^ a b c Aiming for the sky. New Zealand Aviation News, Date needed
- ^ a b c d e Sue Hoffart. Flight puts amputee on record books. (p. 1). Bay of Plenty Times, April 4, 1998
- ^ a b Tony Christiansen with Liz McKeown. Attitude Plus! Harper Collins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited, 2009 ISBN 978 1 86950 470 0.
- ^ a b c Lindy Andrews. For Tony, it’s no legs, no worries. (p. 1 & 2). Bay of Plenty Times, December 7, 2002
- ^ a b Stu Oldham. Encouraging others to make the most out of life. (sup p. 3). Otago Daily Times, November 15, 2003
- ^ a b Tony's passionate about life. Christchurch Mail, November 19, 2003
- ^ a b c d Colin Smith. Hard-charging amputee takes on Bonneville. Bay of Plenty Times, April 2, 2008
- ^ a b Colin Smith. Tony to give salt a shake. Bay of Plenty Times, July 5, 2008
- ^ a b Bonneville. Attitude TV NZ One