When Chris Koch was born, his family could have treated him differently and placed all kinds of limitations on him.
He was a healthy baby but was born without hands or legs. Within hours of his birth his grandma said something that would set the tone for the rest of his life.
His grandma’s first words about Chris’s birth were, “Bruce (Chris’s Dad) never did finish anything he started.”
From that point on nothing got in the way of Chris leading as normal a life as possible. His parents’ refusal to place any limits on their child means today he is successfully doing one of the most physically demanding jobs of all — working on a farm.
Chris has achieved his lifelong dream and works at Apricot Lane Farms.
Chris has achieved his lifelong dream and works at Apricot Lane Farms.
He grew up riding tractors on his family’s farm in Alberta, Canada and wanted to do everything he saw his parents do, including riding tractors.
He fully accepted his physical appearance from an early age, refusing to wear his prosthetic arms at school.
“Talking to my dad, I asked him ‘what did you do differently with me than you would’ve with any other kid?’ and he said ‘nothing,’” Chris says, speaking on Oprah’s Steep Your Soul. “My independence is almost endless, now, because of their [my parents] approach.”
Chris cannot legally drive and requires upwards of 400 percent more energy to do everyday tasks like brushing his teeth.
In the video below we see him driving a tractor and skateboarding; a testament not only to his own inner strength but his parents in not treating him any differently growing up.
His attitude toward life is something we can all learn from. He talks about his situation with a huge smile on his face.
“Some people are ashamed of their freckles, some people are ashamed of that spare tire around their waste they have big ears or a big nose or whatever, I think if you’re worried about how you look you’re cheating yourself out of opportunities,” he says.
Find out more about this remarkable human being in the video below
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Chris is evidence that the limits we think the world throws at us are actually limits we place on ourselves.
Please share to inspire others to live life to the full.
