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 as a blind man. 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 not 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 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. Not only has Ahnu put a product in the market that is truly functional they leveraged the intellectual capital of a man who few felt would be hiking in the terrain he has. 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.