Jim is an extremely positive individual and one who knows, not only the power of having a dream, but also how to see it through to success regardless of what barriers and limitations may get in the way. Jim is a quadriplegic paralyzed from the chest down. A champion freestyle skier at seventeen, but a year later he suffered a freak accident during a ski show performance. At eighteen, he was recovering from a broken neck and embarked on a new life inside a disabled world. After spending eighteen years in a wheelchair and away from his beloved outdoors and the mountains, a friend presented Jim with a very unique idea: why not figure out a way to enjoy the wilderness and climb again? They selected mount Kilimanjaro in Eastern Africa and it was a daunting challenge, never before imagined, let alone attempted by a person with Jim's level of paralysis. In August of 2002, Jim and a team of nine friends went to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro. "Climbing Kilimanjaro was a real handful and we really didn't fully comprehend what we were in for until we were right in the middle of it." After three and a half days of difficult climbing, the team stood, and in Jim's case sat, side by side on the Saddle of Mount Kilimanjaro posing for a picture. That picture showed Jim to be the first quadriplegic to ever climb the mountain, the first wheelchair climber to ever ascend using the rugged Rongai route, as well as the first wheelchair climber to successfully 'climb over Mount Kilimanjaro' by climbing up one side and down the other. In accomplishing these feats, Jim also set a World Altitude Record for a Quadriplegic at 14,500 feet. Since returning from Africa Jim's story has been told in local and national newspapers, radio, and television. Jim was featured on the national television talk show, 'The Vicki Gabereau Show' where he showed off the all-terrain wheelchair he designed and had built for the climb and even treated viewers to some video shot on the climb. Jim shares this unique experience with several audiences, the most rewarding being school children. He helps them to understand what disability means, and what it doesn't necessarily have to mean. It gives them a more well-rounded definition of what being disabled is. In addition, he continues to tell his Kilimanjaro story through presentations where he incorporates messages of what he considers his keys to success: Teamwork; Determination; Resiliency; Human spirit; Focussing on Abilities, not disabilities; and the importance of having and pursuing one's dreams." Jim's list of audiences continue to grow, and includes many schools in the Lower Mainland area, the North Vancouver School District Special Education Conference, Vancouver School Board's International Conference 'Celebrating Diversity'. In the private sector Jim's message has inspired audiences of ReMax Realty, Kal Tire, and the CN Imax Theatre at Canada Place. Highlights of upcoming events planned for 2003 include The Vancouver Mountain Film Festival, The 3rd Annual International Adventure Therapy Conference, and the Indigo Chapters 'Chapters of Health' National Seminar Series. In January of 2003 Jim will be presented with 'The Queen's Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal.' This award is given to Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, their community, or to Canada.