07 Jun Chris Norton The Power to Stand
I was told I would never walk again. But I decided to defeat the odds.
I’m Chris Norton, and I unlocked the Power to Stand.
YOU HAVE THAT POWER, TOO. – Chris Norton
STAND IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. STAND FOR AN IDEA. STAND TO EMPOWER THE WORLD. – CHRIS NORTON STANDS TALL
Your life can change in an instant. Chris Norton’s changed forever on October 16, 2010. After an accident on the football field, he lost all feeling from my neck down.
HE WAS TOLD I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO MOVE AGAIN.
While his story is about what he has learned through his experiences, it’s really a story about all of us. Whether Chris is speaking virtually or in person, to a corporate audience or at a college campus, at a nonprofit event or the stage of a Ted Talk, he speaks for everyone. Adversity is universal. We all face it. Once we realize we are more resilient than we ever thought possible…
The Book
THE SEVEN LONGEST YARDS
Quadriplegics do not simply walk again – yet millions watched as Chris Norton took ten nearly impossible steps. With his fiancée, Emily, supporting at his side, those unbelievable steps became the start of an extraordinary journey for them both. The Seven Longest Yards tells the unforgettable love story of how Chris and Emily battled unbelievable odds with faithful determination to discover that life’s lowest moments can be our greatest gifts.
The Speaker
Chris Norton is a well-respected motivational speaker and author of The Power of Faith when Tragedy Strikes: A Father-Son Memoir and The Seven Longest Yards: Our Love Story of Pushing the Limits while Leaning on Each Other. He also has a new documentary out called 7 Yards, available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, and AppleTV!
Chris suffered a spinal cord injury while playing football at Luther College (Iowa). The doctors gave Chris a 3% chance of moving anything below his neck again. Four years later, he defied the odds and walked across stage at his college graduation with his fiancé, Emily Summers. The video went viral twice, garnered 300 million+ views, and caught the eye of the country’s top media outlets (Good Morning, America, TodayShow.com, NBC Nightly News, CBS, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, etc.).
Three years later, Chris attempted another incredible feat – this time, perhaps the most important walk of his life – down the aisle with his wife, Emily. As with his Graduation Walk, Chris prepared relentlessly, spending four hours per day in the gym. Chris and Emily joyfully conquered the challenge and walked seven yards down the aisle after their wedding ceremony. Seven yards symbolized the seven-year anniversary of his injury. Their beautiful story once again captured the heart of the world, with coverage ranging from nearly all of the top-tier U.S. media outlets to media in Germany, Italy and London, to name a few.
