Marine Josh Bleill lost both his legs above the knee in a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006.
Over the course of two years at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland, Bleill learned to get out of his wheelchair and walk again using prosthetic legs. The process was excruciating and scary, but Bleill relied on his core, both physically and mentally.
“Having a strong physical core allowed me to keep my head up, to see where I was going, and to take one step at a time,” he said. “But your core is also your values, your ethics, your faith. It’s knowing your goals and finding the courage to keep moving forward.”
Bleill will tell his inspirational life story as keynote speaker at the Hunt, Cheetah’s annual user conference, which runs from Nov. 14-17, at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, South Carolina. Bleill will deliver his hour-long address at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16
‘You still have a mission at hand’
Bleill will emphasize how strong core values plus a supportive community plus the right technology can fuel positive change. After all, that’s the equation that helped him rebuild his life and become an inspiration for thousands of others to find the courage to shift toward a brighter future.
“The world doesn’t stop because you’re hurt,” he said. “You still have a mission at hand. I had to break out of my comfort zone and take my life back.”
Shortly after graduating from Purdue University, Bleill joined the Marine Corps as a 27-year-old. His story of military service and personal determination has inspired more than 700 groups over the past 8 years. Those groups include Fortune 500 companies such as pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, diesel engine manufacturer Cummins, and Dish Network.
Bleill received his Purple Heart personally from President George W. Bush, has earned almost countless awards for speaking, and has been featured on CNN and The Colbert Report.
He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and four kids and is the author of “One Step at a Time: A Young Marine’s Story of Courage, Hope, and a new Life in the NFL.” Before becoming a full-time motivational speaker, he worked in communications for the Indianapolis Colts, representing the team at public events.
“People were asking for Peyton Manning, and the Colts sent me instead,” he said. “They just threw me into public speaking. But you have to do the job. You got to put the work in.”
‘Remember who got you up that mountain’
Our values, ethics, and faith are timeless.
Technology, on the other hand, is always changing. And it’s the drive for better technology that led to the countless medical innovations that saved Bleill’s life and helped him walk again.
Bleill will speak about the intersection of humanity and technology, and how those two forces are converging to make the world a better place.
Much of Bleill’s presentation will also touch on the importance of communities and support systems. A strong support system empowered Bleill and his fellow Marines to perform “at the highest level in a war zone.” And after Bleill was injured, that same support system encouraged him to re-engage with the world, to quit hiding away in a hospital, and to start rebuilding his life.
A sergeant, he said, played an especially critical role.
“My story isn’t just about what to do when things go wrong,” he said. “When you are doing well, you need to remember those valleys. Remember who got you up that mountain. You have to help the people around you and lift them up as well.”
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to see Bleill at the Hunt, where you’ll be joined by more than 100 trust and wealth management professionals like you who are seeking ways to do more and serve their clients better.
