Faces: Hal Hargrave | athlete and philanthropist
Wow! The Experea community is truly a network of courageous and determined people who continue to overcome hardships daily. One such person is accomplished athlete, Hal Hargrave. Less than two weeks after his high school graduation, an accident changed his life forever. One Thursday, on his routine truck delivery route, Hal attempted to swerve to avoid a tire that lay in the road. He missed the tire, but his truck lost balance and rolled four times, crushing his spinal cord.
Despite becoming paralyzed, Hal’s accident doesn’t slow him down. He continues to work out daily at the same club he belonged to before the accident. And, he is a full-time student.
A fellow spinal cord injury (SCI) patient shared with Hal that he was leaving the gym, no longer able to afford the membership. Hal was inspired to create the Be Perfect Foundation. His goal is to help others dealing with the same condition as him stay active and hopeful, and to teach them to never give up.
Recently, Hal created a film called Changing Lives that sets out to expose the struggles of people living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Hal’s perseverance radiates through his voice and actions as he continues to display a remarkable work ethic. I am deeply impressed with Hal’s ability to optimistically trudge through life despite his injury.
“Now I live my life knowing that I have that 3% [chance of walking again] and you just throw that 97% out the window and don’t even worry about it… that’s all the hope in the world that you need,” remarks Hal.
Learn from his experiences firsthand as he thinks out loud on his blog.
By: Tanza Loudenback
Experea Healthcare Blog Editor
