Live life with no barriers, encourages Opening Session keynote speaker

Orlando, FL — At age 40, Erik Weihenmayer decided to start kayaking.

But as an adventurer who lost his eyesight at 14 and later became the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest, as well as the tallest peak on all seven continents, Weihenmayer aimed high.

He wanted to kayak all 277 miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, including the vaunted Lava Falls – rated a 10 out of 10 on the difficulty scale.

His first several experiences left Weihenmayer battered and bloodied – and with a hard lesson. “A lot of days, I learned why there weren’t that many blind kayakers,” he quipped.

Weihenmayer shared the story – and the valuable lessons he’s learned about triumph through adversity – as the keynote speaker at the Opening Session of the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo. An author and speaker, Weihenmayer co-founded an organization called No Barriers to help people with challenges live a more purposeful life. 

“What doesn’t get talked about enough is the struggle,” he said. “I wish growth was this nice arc upward. Growth is tumultuous. What if adversity was a pathway to the summit?”

Growth for Weihenmayer was attempting to traverse the falls – complete with massive rocks, viciously swirling pools and powerful waves – so his challenges wouldn’t leave him on the sidelines of life.

A diagnosis of a rare eye disease in middle school was “like winning the lottery, but the exact opposite,” he said. “I thought I’d be crushed by it. Going blind was scary, but not living was terrifying.”

Weihenmayer explained how daily challenges for safety professionals provide numerous adversities but also can be viewed as opportunities for growth.

“I can’t imagine the challenges you face every day,” he said. “I imagine it’s easy to feel like a lone wolf, just pushing a weight up a hill, trying to help people prioritize safety in the workplace, trying to rebuild an entire culture and mindset.”

He explained how teamwork can help safety pros through challenging situations, just like a team traverses up a mountain by tying each member to another and moving together like a snake.

“If there’s a secret weapon, it’s not technology, which is important,” he said. “It’s not a big pile of money, although that’s nice. The secret weapon was the people I surrounded myself with.

“Linking ourselves with great people is the best chance we have. Look around this room. Different ethnicities and backgrounds and talents and genders and insights, all moving together, growing day by day. In some ways, you’re one team on one mountain, heading toward one summit. That becomes the glue that binds you. It’s unstoppable.” 

City of Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome kicked off the event with a lively, creative poetry presentation.

“Making people safer starts with you,” Welcome said. “How noble of a goal, I know. Reflective vests ain’t made of velvet. And there’s no such thing as a sexy helmet. But I tell you this: There are few things more beautiful than coming home. Home. Your role in those moments is a reflection of the profession you chose.”

NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin encouraged the safety pros in attendance to make safety personal by telling their stories and using their voices to keep everyone safe.

“You are a force of saving lives. So, let’s not keep this force of good quiet. Let’s get loud about safety,” Martin said. “Let’s get loud about telling stories, and let’s get loud about saving lives.”