Brad Zdanivsky was climbing for years before he fell asleep at the wheel of his car coming home from a funeral. He was 18 years old and a quadriplegic after the accident, but the guy still climbed more days that I did last year. Now at 33, he’s worked with software developers and engineers to develop an intricate climbing rig that supports his vitals as he picks his way up cliffs.

“Who cares about walking? That’s damn boring,” he says. “I remember seeing guys in rehab who were doing better physically, left with more muscle and didn’t have the same physical challenges, but kind of fell apart. I think they lost their sense of humour and the ability to laugh at themselves and the process, because it is a pretty absurd thing to basically learn how to do everything all over again.”

In 2003, he climbing a big wall near Squamish, British Columbia, and a couple years later he did another 650-meter climb in 14 hours. Perhaps the most impressive feat? He hasn’t launched a career as a motivational speaker.

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