Twenty-six-year-old Zack Ruhl was born with
brittle leg bones and missing thigh bones so
doctors amputated both over the course of his
life. That is as far as his disabilities go. Not
only can he do pull ups from his wheelchair,
he also has his own gym where he offers free
classes to other amputees.
Zack, from Houston, Texas: “Anybody who
has ever told me I couldn’t do something - I
proved them wrong. “When I am at the gym
working out that’s when life’s the best. The
one word you cannot use in my gym is
‘can’t.’ That word is out of your vocabulary
as soon as you come in here.”
His mother, Cheryl Corbello, was instrumental
in moulding Zack into the man he is today,
she didn't treat him differently and made him
realise he was no different from the able-
bodied.
Cheryl said: “At just seven-months-old I
would never just give him his baby bottle,
he’d have to crawl in his body cast to get it.
“He used to ask me to leave stuff down on
the cabinets for him so he didn’t have to
reach up and I told him no - I am not going to
be here forever you have to learn to do things
yourself.
“I told him he could be anything he wanted
and I didn’t care when people told him no, we
were going to find another way to tell him
yes.”
Zack started playing sports and lifting weights
in junior high school but his coaches were
reluctant to let him play.
He said: “They didn’t want me to play
because they thought I would get hurt.
“I am the most competitive guy I know and in
high school they had a chart on the wall
where they posted the highest bench press.
“I couldn’t squat or deadlift but I could bench
and I wanted to be number one - in freshman
year I was third place and I stayed on top
until I graduated.”
Zack decided to take his knowledge and
strength into his own gym where he could
teach other adaptive people how to work out.
“I feel like I’m a pretty tough teacher. I just
don’t like excuses at all.
“Helping other people with disabilities is by far
the best accomplishment I can get.
“The classes are free for adaptive athletes
because I know how hard it is not knowing
what to do and a lot of people in wheelchairs
feel like there is no hope.
“My message for amputees or any disability
would be: don’t let anybody tell you you can’t
do something.
“You always have room to grow, just keep
going and don’t let anybody tell you nothing.”
Source: Barcroft.TV
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