If you could toss TED Talk, ESPN, and Upworthy in a blender, Purpose2Play Summit: Talking Triumph is what you would get — rich nutrition for the soul!
We dove under the surface hype with some of the country’s most inspiring athletes and heroes in sports; those who truly win for all the right reasons. This half-day celebration offered inspiration and hope for those looking for ways to define their vision, harness adversity, destroy excuses, stretch out of their comfort zone, and elevate others in sports, business, and all other areas of life.
Here’s a recap of our very first event in Dallas, TX:
Be sure to check out each individual speech, too.
1. Dr. Renee Ostertag is a former college heptathlete who was once ranked sixth in the nation. Rather than train for the Olympics, she opted to pursue a profession focused on helping others. This doctor of physical therapy and body intelligence expert gave us the rundown on how the body and the mind can get stuck in “catastrophic neuro-chemical chaos”, and how when we’re able to pull ourselves out of the inner pandemonium, we thrive.
2. Hector Picard is the first person without arms to ever finish an Ironman. Hector flew into Dallas just weeks after completing the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. Oh, and he mustered up the energy to speak just days after having his appendix removed.
3. Vaughn Ripley is a hemophiliac and one of the longest living people with HIV on the planet. He shared his “Survival Pie,” which are his daily habits that allow him to do things like run marathons, climb mountains, and get the most out of life.
4. Vanessa Cantu is a Dallas-based Crossfit competitor, who was involved in a horrific car accident that ruptured her spine and left her in the hospital for four months. After having two rods and 14 pins inserted into her back, Vanessa went from wheelchair-bound to walking with leg braces and crutches. Today, she can be found competing against the best adaptive athletes in the world.
5. Edward Majian is the founder and president of SARTONK — the originator of the modern boxing belt. Together with his 95-year-old grandfather, Ardash, and their team, Ed is responsible for meticulously handcrafting the title belts that are held by World Champions in the ring. This craftsman, philosophy major, magician, and activist founded the company to protect the dignity of his grandfather’s legacy, which was jeopardized due to others falsely claiming Ardash’s work as their own, and obscuring his contributions to sport and culture.
