Every family should know a “Trevor”. His depth and courage provide a road map any family can learn from. In 15 minutes my life changed quickly. Yep…all it took was 15 minutes of speaking with Trevor Thomas. Nope, he is not a preacher or CEO of a fortune 500 company, however I can argue on so many levels he is more than that. Climbing the mountain of life is figurative for most of us, but for Trevor Thomas it is very literal. By the age of 35 Trevor’s life had changed forever due to a rare incurable eye disorder that caused him to go blind. So now the real journey was to begin and understanding what was in front of him was a world of uncertainty. From battles with depression (which one could argue was absolutely situational) and having to carve a new life from scratch he grew from within. He began to realize he had to except life as it is and move on and find a bigger purpose. Oh…..he did. One thing did not change when he lost his vision…his intellect remained as it always had. Articulate…..bright…..and calculated were all traits Trevor took with him on his new journey.
To regain his independence he took a strong interest in hiking all over the country. His dog may have been with him, but still the risks involved were tough to quantify. Not only did he begin hiking, but he has taken on some of the most challenging summits in the country. He began to regain his confidence….self worth……mental strength and leveraged his new massive efficiency…..”feel”. When one sense becomes less efficient another one just might become hyper efficient. For Trevor the “feel” of the land has become a strength. His feet have gone the distance over topography all over the country and his “feel’ has guided him in directions someone who can see can’t fathom. His ability to understand what it takes also got him noticed by the shoe company Ahnu. In fact, Ahnu has involved Trevor in the product design/development of the their Ridgecrest shoe. His expertise in “feel’ and putting a product to insane testing prove to be a quick path to R&D for this company. He is an inspiration for all of us who think we can’t. Oh…Trevor has proven we can. In 15 minutes my life changed because of a short conversation with Trevor Thomas. What I think I can’t do I know I can do. Trevor has made a difference to anyone who feels they are hit with obstacles that prevent moving forward. He has not only moved forward, but has inspired others to take suit. I am one of them.
We are all faced with challenges in life. If could be health or it sometimes has to do with relationships.  The reality is Trevor has show us that we can get through the tough things in life we must endure. Life is about working through what often seems difficult. We can strengthen our marriages and we can teach our children to offset challenges by helping them to know a Trevor and how he simply took on the impossible.

By Bradley D. Weisman bweisman@inthesport.net