My ability to play baseball was never about the possible fame or the notoriety that our society places on sports, and pop culture in general. Yes, being able to play baseball would have given me a high quality life, and playing baseball for as long as I did gave me just that.

The strides and gains I have made since finding baseball have been exponential. Growing up, I always believed that my disability dictated the life I live because I hadn’t known any other way. All I had known was how my disability held me back. I could not keep up with my friends and my peers were always above me. That’s how I felt, but baseball showed me how strong I am and how strong I can be.

I am one of the 5 strongest people in my gym. I max out machines and am nearly able to do so with my stroke-effected right arm, as well. I did that the same way that I prepared for my marathon. Running 26.2 miles simply meant putting one foot in front of the other. I started by running a quarter-mile, but one step at a time that quarter-mile grew to 5 miles, which suddenly turned into my being able to run a full marathon in record setting time. I never dreamed that my right side could match the strength of my left, or that I would be able to leg press 1170 pounds…but I can. I got there one brick at a time.

My quality of life did not stop with my ability to play baseball. In fact, my ability to play baseball opened my eyes to my full ability and potential. Realizing that is when I realized I needed to write a book.

I wanted people to realize how my life motivated me and why I live as I do. People deserve to understand that a disability, or any setback in life, is simply an obstacle to be overcome. It’s a barrier that separates those who dream of something from those who truly deserve it. You deserve it because you strive for it. Your confidence drives you towards something and it’s following through on that passion and never giving up on it is how each of us earns what we are striving for. It validates our desire, and any desire that burns deep enough will mold a dream into reality.

That is ultimately what I have learned in living with and overcoming my disability, but there are so many lessons that have marked the life I have been able to live. That is what I wanted to share in my book. My life is uncharted because as long as I have confidence in myself, there is no limit to how far I can reach.

This is my journey though that I have experienced through my disability. Each of us has limitations that we must account for, but they are individual. That is why I say that my disability is no less debilitating than someone with seasonal allergies. It’s an individual battle. Both of us operate and thrive just fine, but if we were to switch bodies I guarantee each of us would be paralyzed by the sensations and limitations that another individual has to overcome daily, instinctively.

That’s a real reason why I love the book that I have written. My disability is an individual sensation, which I constantly describe and explain using terms and experiences that everyone who does not live with my disability experiences daily. Even though you may have no idea what a brain aneurysm feels like, you know exactly how I feel because I have related the sensations with experiences you instinctively, and repeatedly, know.