2008 Woodie Awards
Jesse Billauer Rolls onto FC Sept. 14
Andrew S. Lay
Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: News
Guest speakers at FC typically resound a mediocre oratory capacity. Recently, finding a decent speaker on campus has been a daunting task. Jesse Billauer is the exception.
A Californai native born on Feb. 24, 1979, Billauer has been well versed in the ways of the Pacific Ocean ever since he was a young boy. He began surfing at nine-years-old.
In the ocean, Billauer found his second home. With most of his free time spent on top of a surfboard, Billauer was quickly picked up
by sponors and began surfing professionally at 11-years-old.
March of '96 saw Billauer being ranked 1st as a Junior in the Pacific Surf Series after being sseriously wounded in a acar crash on his way to school the previous Oct.
All his dreams were coming true until March 25, '96.. A day that has left a astounding and lasting affect on Billauer.
As Billauer surfed he was thrown into a shallow sandbar. He went limp, floating face down. He struggled to turn his body over, but all he could was wait and hope that a wave would eventually overturn his limp body.
He finally turned over and managed to call for help. After seveal minutes his friend Jeff Stanley reached him and hauled him out of the waves.
His friends dialed 911 and he was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center. At the hospital the doctors told him that he had broken his neck, suffering severe trauma to his spinal cord.
He suffered the same type of injury that befell Chrisopher Reeves. Billauer would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life at the age of 16.
Jesse spent three months in the hospital before finally returning home to his parents house.
Despite his disability, Billauer has continued to make great forward strides in his life.
He graduated from Sand Diego State University in 2002 with a Bachelors Degree in Communications and created Life Rolls On, a non-profit organization that soley for spreading awareness of spinal cord injuries.
Billauer is truly a remarkable figure. To have such a catastrophic accident at such a young age seems daunting, yet Billauer dealt with it stoicly at such a young age. His life rolled on in a sense. He achieved what many perfectly healthy men have failed to do.
Since forming Life Rolls On, Billauer has speaking engagements for Nike, at Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, and at over 60 schools, churches and youth organizaions.
Ruth Sipple, a learning disability specialist here at Fullerton College, said, "Jesse (Billauer's) message is universal, and inspiring to all people."
Sipple even went so far as to encourage all the professors on campus to insist that their students attend his speaking event on Sept. 14 at the Campus Theatre. "I'm just really looking forward to it," she said.
A Californai native born on Feb. 24, 1979, Billauer has been well versed in the ways of the Pacific Ocean ever since he was a young boy. He began surfing at nine-years-old.
In the ocean, Billauer found his second home. With most of his free time spent on top of a surfboard, Billauer was quickly picked up
by sponors and began surfing professionally at 11-years-old.
March of '96 saw Billauer being ranked 1st as a Junior in the Pacific Surf Series after being sseriously wounded in a acar crash on his way to school the previous Oct.
All his dreams were coming true until March 25, '96.. A day that has left a astounding and lasting affect on Billauer.
As Billauer surfed he was thrown into a shallow sandbar. He went limp, floating face down. He struggled to turn his body over, but all he could was wait and hope that a wave would eventually overturn his limp body.
He finally turned over and managed to call for help. After seveal minutes his friend Jeff Stanley reached him and hauled him out of the waves.
His friends dialed 911 and he was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center. At the hospital the doctors told him that he had broken his neck, suffering severe trauma to his spinal cord.
He suffered the same type of injury that befell Chrisopher Reeves. Billauer would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life at the age of 16.
Jesse spent three months in the hospital before finally returning home to his parents house.
Despite his disability, Billauer has continued to make great forward strides in his life.
He graduated from Sand Diego State University in 2002 with a Bachelors Degree in Communications and created Life Rolls On, a non-profit organization that soley for spreading awareness of spinal cord injuries.
Billauer is truly a remarkable figure. To have such a catastrophic accident at such a young age seems daunting, yet Billauer dealt with it stoicly at such a young age. His life rolled on in a sense. He achieved what many perfectly healthy men have failed to do.
Since forming Life Rolls On, Billauer has speaking engagements for Nike, at Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, and at over 60 schools, churches and youth organizaions.
Ruth Sipple, a learning disability specialist here at Fullerton College, said, "Jesse (Billauer's) message is universal, and inspiring to all people."
Sipple even went so far as to encourage all the professors on campus to insist that their students attend his speaking event on Sept. 14 at the Campus Theatre. "I'm just really looking forward to it," she said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jesse Supporter
posted 9/18/06 @ 10:47 AM PST
Nice article, however lots of typos.
It was BRAD STANLEY who saved Jesse, not Jeff Stanley.
BTW, it is Christopher Reeve, not Reeves.
Sand Diego. (Continued…)
Post a Comment