Jason Sauer is an Australian bobsledding and paraskeleton Paralympian.
Learning to drive a bobsled just two months after having a double-leg amputation at age 39. He currently ranks 15th in the world as a Paralympic bobsledder. His achievements to date include 12th place at the Oberhof World Cup in January 2017 and 14th place at the World Championships at St.Moritz in February 2017.
Jason was confronted with a ski culture world of drug and alcohol use at age 16, observing it as a way to gain social acceptance. Up until an experience on Christmas Day in 2010 that ultimately took his legs, Jason battled for years between drug abuse and sobriety; A dangerous feedback loop that Jason now dedicates time to helping others achieve sustainable sobriety.
“If I’m really honest with my self…nothing surpasses the joy of helping others.”
Jason’s story takes us through to some dark places and we would like to put a disclaimer on this podcast that explicit adult themed topics are discussed. But we are sharing Jason’s story because he is a man that was faced with a choice to let his physical circumstances define the limits of his existence, or to use the gifts passion and love he still possessed, to create an extraordinary life for himself. We are grateful he went with the later option!
Take home points I got:
• Sport can heal. If you truly love what you do and your sport, then do it! No strings attached! If it makes you feel like a better person then be a better person.
• Using faith and spirituality to paint a more holistic and complex picture of your future. I guess this is about being open to greater possibilities than just what your mind can think of. Lends itself to ‘dream big!’
• If sport gives us joy, then we need to stop always thinking about ‘how can I be better?’ or ‘how can I not get injured?’ but rather, 'how can I love this into my old age?’. I feel this slight shift in thinking might make it easier for us to be more playful, more compassionate and potentially a better athletic version of us into our older years too.
• The challenges regarding the commercialisation of sport and self-centric approach many elite athletes have to take to reach the top of their game
• Helping others can be the biggest single driver for us.
• If you enjoy it, just enjoy it.
