Backstage Pass: Ep. 6 - John Register: Amputate to Amplify
John REgister bio
John Register is a two-time Paralympian, Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, Persian Gulf War veteran, and TEDx Motivational Speaker. He embraced a “new normal mindset” in becoming an amputee following a misstep over a hurdle while training for the 1996 Olympic Games, after participation in two consecutive Olympic trials.
An Oak Park, Ill. native, Register discovered how to “amputate his fear of disability” and founded the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Military Sport Program in the early 2000s. He launched a book titled: 10 Stories to Impact Any Leader: Journal Your Way to Leadership Success, as business leaders return to work with their staff amid stressful circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic and the recent unrest in our urban cities.
Register teaches business professionals through his “Hurdling Adversity” speeches and podcasts to “amputate fear and embrace their new normal,” as they discover “stories within themselves.”
He finds that “it is the personal stories that inspire teams more profoundly with greater impact.”
Register is a four-time All-American graduate of University of Arkansas. He served six years in the U.S. Army—including in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in active-duty with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program—winning nine gold medals in the Armed Services Competition and two World Military Championships.
Register had his left leg amputated after a misstep over a hurdle changed his life. Register hyperextended his knee and severed the popliteal artery. He started swimming to aid in his recovery, made the U.S. Paralympic Team in 1996, and later won a silver medal in the long jump—as he set an American record—and sprinted to fifth in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the U.S. Paralympic Games in Sydney.
Register resides in Colorado Springs, CO with his wife Alice. The couple have three children - John Jr., Ashley, and Ronald.
show notes
In this episode of Backstage Pass we’re joined by John Register. John is a Paralympic silver medalist, army combat veteran, TedX speaker, author, and CPAE. Recently, he was named among the top global leadership speakers. John opens up about his Paralympic career, what holds people back from moving past difficult times (and how he can help), and the experiences that helped make him the speaker he is today.
Key topics in this episode include:
What getting the CPAE title meant to John and how he reached this milestone.
How being diverted towards the Gulf War elevated his speaking ability.
How he lost his leg and what it taught him about adversity.
Why he was so surprised when he made the Paralympic swim team.
The importance of having people in your life who won’t let you fail.
How his Paralympic experience developed and expanded.
The fear that holds people back from reaching their goals and how John can help.
How his speaking gives him a unique perspective of leadership and the world.
The calls John gets weekly and why he makes himself available to serve them.
Why knowing what the Constitution is matters when protecting it.
The unique aspect the US brings to athletic events, including the Paralympics.
What John is focusing on right now in his career next.
Why the way you show up with event planners and producers matters.
The influence any interaction you have with someone, no matter how small, can have.
