Joe Guintu

When a perfect first day surfing in Hawaii triggered a rare spinal cord injury ("surfer's myelopathy"), over a slow deterioration of a harrowing seven hours, I was left paralyzed, confronting the dark and uncertain effects of a major crash without the event itself.

Biting my lip through excruciating pain, the sadness, despair and loss of my upright mobility, I instinctively forced myself to stand up in my own special way, to adopt a mentality of fierce resilience in attacking this ever-present new adversity.

While soon enough beauty flourished in my life through intentional choices, I began to view society’s interactions with me as a Filipino-American paralyzed man in a new light, choosing to create my own luck by seizing the opportunity to be a vehicle of positive energy in the world.

I feel it is my calling and responsibility to help others through sharing my story, experiences and learnings of resiliency and living in a complex world that is sputtering towards a more inclusive society, and I would love the opportunity to share with you.

What Joe can do for you and your organization

Joe is an experienced speaker and actor. Contact him at jguintu@gmail.com for availability.