010: How Nike Athlete, David Smith, Stayed Resilient through Tumors, Surgeries, and Partial Paralysis

Soul Career with Lisandra Rickards

Paralympic athlete David Smith has faced tremendous odds. He was born with talipes equinovarus (“clubfoot”), misdiagnosed as an epileptic in childhood and, on the cusp of a successful athletic career, was diagnosed with a life-threatening spinal tumor. He had four surgeries - one of which left him partially paralyzed - and had to learn to walk four times. Yet through it all he maintained his passion for athletics and has developed a new life philosophy.

We recorded this episode in January 2020, but it’s relevant now more than ever. As we face the COVID-19 pandemic, we may feel overwhelmed by the difficult messages and imagery we’re confronted with every day. It can be easy to lose our commitment to our goals, give up on our dreams and go into a negative space. But David’s story shows us how to reframe any challenge into something that motivates us to move forward with a renewed sense of purpose. Join us as David shares how he remained persistent through tremendous odds and how he went from what he calls a ‘human-doing’ to a human being.

Here’s how we’ve structured the episode:

- David’s battles with tumors and ill health over the past decade

- When he knew becoming an athlete was his Soul Career and how he continued pursuing his dream in the face of so many medical challenges

- The impact of his background and childhood, and how his early experiences helped him to develop a ‘can-do’ mindset

- How remaining open and keeping a sense of gratitude helped him to accept and adjust his life in the face of challenges

- How confronting his own mortality revealed the importance of living in the present moment and finding happiness from internal rather than external validation

- His current life philosophy and how he finds joy in his life.

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