Going The Distance: Charlie's Story of Endurance
A documentary film from Triple Knot Productions, Inc. Going the Distance is the true story of a man who was on the brink of realizing all his dreams at the age of 21 when he accidentally broke his neck on a Saturday afternoon at the beach.
In the split-second it took to execute a dive he had done countless times before, Charlie made a choice at the bottom of the ocean whether to give up and die—or whether to trust that there was still a purpose to his going on. That choice—the choice to “battle on”—is what this film is all about.
Because Charlie acknowledged in that moment that God had a plan for his life, he was given the strength he needed to live a life that not only exceeded his previous expectations of what his life was meant to be, but also to serve as an example that no matter what challenges we are faced with, our lives can still have power and meaning.
In 2008, Charlie has spent 40 years in a wheelchair because of quadriparesis, paralyzed from the chest down. After his 9-month in-hospital rehabilitation, he lived independently, married, worked full-time for many years, volunteered extensively to help other people with disabilities, set national records in numerous wheelchair sports, coached disabled athletes, and ultimately, twenty years ago, started his own charitable organization with his wife Danielle to run weekly therapeutic sports programs for the mobility-impaired: Wheelchair Sports and Recreation Association, Inc.
After getting his degree in broadcasting, he served as a spokesman and appeared in countless TV, radio and newspaper spots to promote the integration of disabled into community activities, beginning with sports and recreation and ending with employment and full inclusion. His dedicated work won him many honors along the way including the United Way’s Extra Mile Award, Massachusetts Governor’s Neighborhood Superstar Award, National Spinal Cord Injury Association’s Spirit Award, and New England Wheelchair Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame recognition.
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