By Charlie Adams

The author, Charlie Adams, with survivor Rob Jones.

Survive. Recover. Live. That was the motto and attitude of Rob Jones after losing both legs in an improvised explosive device explosion in Afghanistan in July 2010 as he and fellow Marines were making a push into Taliban territory.

I had the privilege to be among the speakers with Rob at the Tudor Collegiate Strategies Conference in Charlotte, N.C., earlier this month.

“Why did I survive?” Rob asked quickly adding, “that’s not the question to ask. The question worth answering was now that I am in this situation … what am I going to do about it?”

The first thing he did was survive and get to the hospital. The second part of his motto was to recover. He had many surgeries and skin grafts,
and then it was to Walter Reed to learn to walk again.

“That’s where you do all the hard work,” he said. “It is about getting things back you’ve lost like the confidence to be a man. I got my first prosthetics. They start with short ones so there is less to worry about when you fall.”

The third stage was to live.

“I was ready to make myself a better person than I ever was,” he said. “To live, it is about challenging yourself and about growth. I took on the challenge of making the 2012 Paralympic Games in London in rowing (mixed double sculls). I got my rowing partner, Oksana Masters, and we had nine months to get ready. We had to finish high in two major races to make it in, and we won both.”

The duo, who nicknamed themselves Bad Company, trained six days a week for about four hours a day. They got to the London Games and in the finals started out sixth. With a surge, they finished third behind China and France and won bronze! They nipped Great Britain for third by 0.21 seconds.

They were the first Americans to ever medal in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls event. Last October Rob was named the 2012 United States Rowing Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the sport.

“All of it would not have been possible had it not been for the right environment,” said Rob, in a statement that can make you think of your environment at work, school or wherever.

They had started their training in Florida where those training around them were negative and grumbled about early workouts. Because of the negativity, they moved their training to the University of Virginia where they worked out with the school’s upbeat and extremely helpful rowing team.

“A gardener can mulch, but if the dirt is not good enough there won’t be growth,” said Rob. “It is not just where you are but the people who are around you.”

The incredible positive nature of those around them in Virginia made a world of difference. While many look at Rob and see someone that lost basically half of their body, he chooses to look at the positives that came from the challenge.

“Because of the blast I now get to train as an athlete full time,” he said. “Before, that never would have happened. I also get to give speeches and change lives.”

Rob said life is about growing and challenging yourself. It was incredibly hard for him to learn to ride a bike after the explosion. He even fell and broke his wrist while relearning it. Now, he is going to bike across the country to raise money for charities.

He simply doesn’t have time to have a bad attitude or feel sorry for himself. He has taken the attitude of “what you can’t change, make the best out of it.”

“I don’t see the point,” he said. “Wallowing in self-pity isn’t going to get you anywhere. What’s the point in treading water, so to speak,” he said. “I like to make progress.”

About the Author
Charlie Adams is the author of the new book ‘How to Build a Positive Attitude and KEEP the Darn Thing!’ The former WSBT-TV sports anchor and positive news reporter delivers seminars to Michiana businesses, educational institutions and churches based on the book. He can be reached at [email protected].