Johnny "Joey" Jones

Joey lost his legs at 24 years old. He was in peak physical condition and given state-of-the-art medical treatment. Yet, folks look at him in awe as he stands on prosthetics and travels the country independently, usually with a genuine smile, and say, “I don’t know how you stay so positive after you lost your legs.” To which he sometimes responds, “Well, don’t ever get negative, since you have yours.” The point here is that one aspect of adversity doesn’t get to define him. Yes, he lost his legs, but he hasn’t had cancer, he hasn’t filed bankruptcy, lost a child, or gone through a divorce. But all those things are present in this room, and all of you are here today with the opportunity to celebrate, work, give, love. You have all gone through every type of adversity life has thrown at you, and here you are. Remember what you are capable of, remember how you got here.