Men's Fitness article- May 2002

Success Story: Up To The Challenge

 With a steadfast belief in himself, Roger Crawford proves no obstacle is too great to overcome.

Every month, Men’s Fitness publishes a Success Story, a first-person account of how an individual decided to alter his life for the better. Typically, our Success Stories focus on people who have improved their health through exercise and a healthy diet. However, not all Success Stories are the result of weight loss. Roger Crawford is proof of that.  Here’s his story, in his own words.

Challenges are inevitable. That’s a reality that is beyond our control. How we deal with those challenges, however, is completely within it. The essence of my life is, in all likelihood, the same as that of any other Men’s Fitness reader. The only difference is that the majority of the challenges I‘ve had to overcome are much more visible.

I was born with four under-developed limbs—basically, from my elbows down and from my knees down, my limbs did not grow properly. I have two fingers on my right hand and one on my left. As a result, doctors predicted I would be unable to walk and would have limited dexterity.

I realized that I was different from others, but I didn’t let that stand in my way. Everyone must accept what cannot be changed; for example, I can’t eat with chop-sticks, nor can I play “Chopsticks” on the piano. What I can do, however, is refuse to let anything prevent me from doing something I love. That something turned out to be playing tennis.

After trying various sports as a youngster, I decided to focus on tennis at the age of 12. People wonder how a boy with underdeveloped arms could play a sport in which gripping a racket is fundamental. I simply explain this as wanting to. The desire was there. As with anything else, that is more than half the battle.

Tennis became my outlet. It was crucial for me to be able to point to something in my life that I could say I did well. Once I realized I could succeed at the sport, I saw that I could achieve the same level of success in anything else I tried. And I did. In high school, I compiled a 47-6 record and earned a partial scholarship to play tennis at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Competing on the court raised my confidence, convinced me I could compete in other areas as well.

Today, at 41, I couldn’t be happier with where I am in life. I am a full-time motivational speaker, a profession I entered upon graduating from college, with up to 100 speaking engagements per year. I work out seven days a week, riding the exercise bike 45 minutes every day in addition to lifting weights on a variety of machines. Best of all, my wife of 15 years and I are the proud parents of a wonderful 9-year old daughter.

The one thing I would most like to express is that my life has been very positive. If anything, my condition has taught me the importance of gratitude and persistence, continuous improvement, and just flat out never quitting. Some people come into this world with great physical gifts and high intellect, but they never fully utilize their abilities.

We all have handicaps; they just come in different forms. Through an unwavering belief in myself, I have been able to overcome mine. And I have learned that all of us have the ability to achieve great success despite the obstacles standing in our way. I’ll finish with a saying I like to use in all of my motivational speeches: Challenges are inevitable. Defeat is optional.