August 5, 2013

Relief in Action…Meet Josh Williams

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted byAdvil®, as part of the Advil® Relief in Action campaign. I received compensation for this post. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims aboutAdvil®as a product or its effectiveness.

I am not an amazing person.

But, I know a few. And when the team from Advil® approached me to tell the world about the most inspirational and amazing person I know, my mind went one place.

Sylvester Stallone.

Just kidding!

While I do love Rocky Balboa, it wasn’t the Italian Stallion that I thought of. It was my cousin, Josh Williams.

Sure, you are saying. Your cousin. But it’s true. Josh is the epitome of do or die. Nothing stops him. There is no fail… only succeed.

In April of 2006, after serving in the war with the Army overseas, and returning from active duty unscathed, Josh found himself in a fight to survive. A horrific motorcycle accident on his way to work one morning left his young, athletic, go-getter body in shambles. His leg was mangled. His arm – amputated.

His arm. Gone.

I can’t imagine waking up in a hospital bed to find any part of me gone. But to be a single, young man, in his prime and lose an arm? I just don’t know how the mind can wrap itself around something like that.

But Josh did.

While spending months in Walter Reed hospital recuperating, Josh was introduced to Project Healing Waters, an organization that teaches fly fishing to wounded veterans. Josh. One armed. Learning to fly fish.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

But Josh absolutely flourished. In fact, he’s even been on Fly Rod Chronicles, catching one trout after another with that amazing one-armed technique of his. Seriously, I have watched it over and over, the grace and ease with which he overcomes his disability. It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

But Josh didn’t stop there. While he benefitted from the encouragement of Project Healing Waters, he challenged himself even more – he learned to tie flies. For those of you not in the know – flies are those things that look like crazy bugs. The bait, if you will, that lures these trout into springing to the flying hook. And Josh? He ties them with one hand.

Stunningly.

So stunning, in fact, that Orvis sells his flies. He calls his outfit Dead Drift Flies, and they are sought after by some of the best fishermen out there. So he’s not doing it halfway. There is NOTHING stopping this man.

And did I mention he married a gorgeous young woman? And is now a doting father to a beauty of a little girl? He’s made it. The world is his for the taking. But he doesn’t just take.

Josh gives back.

Thanks to his efforts, Project Healing Waters has another chapter in Virginia now, located in Salem. Through his dedication and volunteerism, other wounded vets are finding comfort and friendship in the bonds of fishing. He travels. He speaks. I can think of no other person I gain more motivation from.

Simply amazing.

It takes a special kind of person to thrive. It takes an incredibly special person to thrive and give back.

That’s Josh.

For more information on Advil’s® Relief in Action

As part of the Advil® Relief in Action program, a portion of the price of participating Advil® bottles will go to Habitat for Humanity® International and Wounded Warrior Project® so their volunteers can get the relief they need, and get back to giving back.