EPISODES

Chris Waddell: Resilience, Performance, and the Choice to Live Fully

At 19 years old, Chris Waddell was a promising ski racer at Middlebury College when a freak accident during training left him paralyzed. His ski... At 19 years old, Chris Waddell was a promising ski racer at Middlebury College when a freak accident during training left him paralyzed. His ski popped off mid-turn, and in that moment, everything changed. But what happened next wasn't a story of accepting limits—it was a story of refusing to let anyone define what recovery could mean. In this conversation, Chris walks through the decision his parents made to never tell him he'd never walk again—and how that choice shaped everything. He shares what it took to become the fastest mono skier in the world despite competing against athletes with physical advantages, why his Mount Kilimanjaro climb taught him more about failure than success, and what happens when you realize that your definition of winning might be too small. This isn't a highlight reel. It's a conversation about what it actually costs to rebuild your identity after everything you thought you were gets taken away. ⸻ IN THIS EPISODE • A ski popped off at 19 years old—and the moment that split Chris's life into before and after • Why his parents chose not to tell him he'd never walk again—and how that decision shaped his recovery • Learning to mono ski with parents who'd never seen the equipment—rebuilding identity through the sport that almost took everything • Becoming the fastest mono skier in the world at Lillehammer despite competing at a physical disadvantage • The Mount Kilimanjaro climb: what happens when 100 feet of failure redefines what success actually means • Vulnerability as strength—why the hardest part of the climb became the most important story to tell • What resilience actually looks like when you don't know what's coming next ⸻ 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Chris Waddell Chapters 00:09:53 Early Life and Family in Massachusetts 00:11:45 Discovering Skiing and Early Coaching 00:18:33 College Skiing and The Accident 00:21:08 Hospital Recovery and Family Resilience 00:28:33 Learning to Monoski 00:36:37 The Path to Paralympic Competition 00:44:11 Breakthrough with Custom Equipment 00:48:08 Becoming the Fastest in the World 01:16:34 Paralympic Success and Track Racing 01:21:21 Retirement and Finding New Purpose 01:27:48 The Six-Year-Old Girl and Kilimanjaro 01:32:41 Training for Kilimanjaro 01:38:59 The Climb Begins 01:48:23 The Boulder Field and Acceptance 01:54:34 Defining Resilience 01:56:19 Where to Find Chris and Closing ⸻ ABOUT CHRIS WADDELL Chris Waddell is a 13-time Paralympic medalist, Paralympic Hall of Fame inductee, and the most decorated male mono skier in Paralympic history. Named an "Unsung Hero of Compassion" by the Dalai Lama in 2005, Chris became the first paraplegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro unassisted. He is the founder of One Revolution Foundation and travels internationally as a keynote speaker helping audiences unlock their potential through the lens of his own transformation. CONNECT WITH CHRIS WADDELL Website: chriswaddellinc.com Foundation: onerevolution.org Instagram: @chriswaddelllivingit Facebook: @chriswaddelllivingit ⸻ ABOUT THE RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK The Resilience Playbook is a long-form conversation series hosted by Cole Rodgers. Every episode brings you face-to-face with leaders, executives, and high-performers who've been tested—and came out the other side with something worth sharing. No highlight reels without the hard parts. Just honest conversations about resilience, faith, leadership, marriage, fatherhood, mental health, and the moments that shape who we become. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a conversation. ⸻ CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theresilienceplaybook/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/TheResiliencePB LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-resilience-playbook/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theresilienceplaybook Listen on audio (when available): Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ShZgzjhsPCKzCLzfoWApI Support the show: https://theresilienceplaybook.com/ – Chris Waddell read more