May 2017

On January 21, 1993 I was in a five-car automobile accident that injured seven people. Out of everyone injured, I was the most severely hurt. When it first happened I was in shock and didn't know the extent of my injuries. I was a passenger in the backseat and thought I should get out and try to help everyone.

"What do you want to do as an adult?" That's the question everyone is asked when they are 16-18 years old. Do you enter the workforce, trade school, college, or disability? All have ups and downs associated with them. All have levels of attainability depending on your unique situation.

My name is Greg Callen and in 2005 I was injured in a fall from a 13-foot balcony. I actually jumped and landed on my feet, which caused my L12 and T1 vertebrae to burst. I was left paralyzed. When this happened, I had a number of fears, one concerning my career and how I would have any money to follow my dreams.

The ancient Chinese sage Confucius is often credited with the saying "choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." While this is a nice sentiment and maybe true to some degree, it's often difficult to know if you will like a career until you start down that path.

Growing up, I first wanted to be an artist. I then wanted to be an orthodontist, then an elementary school teacher. I settled on physical therapist when I entered high school. Ironically, I desired to help people with disabilities.