A lot has changed since Eric LeGrand became paralyzed while making a tackle in a 2010 Rutgers University football game. As he passes the 10-year anniversary of his injury, he continues to have an amazing story to tell.
“When you first get injured, your mind goes to, how is my life going to be? How am I going to accomplish my goals? What does tomorrow hold? What does the next hour hold?” says LeGrand. “It can be so hard to remain positive. I was lucky to be surrounded by great people who kept me motivated and energized.”
Ironically, the unwavering positive attitude LeGrand developed early in his recovery has become a hallmark of his success and a beacon of hope for many.
“A lot of people see my story and what I’ve gone through and see that my story could be so much different if I was negative,” says LeGrand. “People gravitate to my optimism. They want to be around it. When they go through tough times, they reach out to me.”
In fact, LeGrand estimates that over the past decade, he’s had hundreds of people living with a spinal cord injury reach out to him for one-on-one support. He places that number in the thousands if he includes those who have sought his guidance when going through other challenging situations.
“That’s what it’s all about, you are going through this journey, and you need to help other people through theirs,” says LeGrand. “You offer support where you can and hope you leave an impression on people where they are inspired to live their lives to the fullest.”
Finding Success
LeGrand’s definition of success comes from an inspirational phrase that his football coach at Rutgers University used almost every day: “the peace of mind you get knowing you did everything you could to be the best you can be.”
He didn’t necessarily take it to heart as a player, but the lesson has really sunk in overtime.
“If you surround yourself with negative things, you’ll never achieve the things that can happen,” says LeGrand. “Yes, you can have your sad days and bad moments, that is fine. Those are emotions that we all have, but you have to make sure the better days outweigh those days.”
One of the biggest changes for LeGrand over the years is that he feels like he understands spinal cord injury now.
“I know how to transition to a life where you have goals that you want to go after, and you know what you can do and what you need help on,” says LeGrand. “You develop the confidence to be able to ask people to help guide you along the way.”
LeGrand continues, “In the beginning, it was all about, how do I get better? How do I walk? I still focus on that, but I’ve added more to my plate now. I want to leave a great legacy. I’m going to have the best life I possibly can and not let this hold me back.”