Check Out David Whelan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Whelan.

Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
In March 2012, I was injured in a work-related accident. I had my foot crushed by a heavy piece of equipment. The injury itself was a devastating blow for me, being only 25 years old at the time. In the years following, and as a result of the injury, I was diagnosed with a rare nerve condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. CRPS (as it is called) causes the nerves near an injury site (for me, it was my foot) to fire uncontrollably, causing an excruciating amount of pain. CRPS feels like you are being lit on fire and stabbed repeatedly. The pain is constant and can even spread to other parts of the body, radiating from the injury site. Unfortunately, there is little known about my condition and even less viable treatment options. Nothing more than a light breeze or blanket felt like sandpaper ripping off burning skin. I had multiple surgeries trying to repair my foot. After each surgery, the CRPS slowly spread and intensified. As the pain intensified, so did the depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations. And eventually, the suicide attempts.

Realizing how poorly I was suffering and how depressed I had become, I decided to sit down with my pain. I realized that I wasn’t suffering emotionally or mentally because of my physical pain but what the pain was keeping me from doing. I had stopped living and was barely existing. I also had to be honest with myself about my habits and the ways I was contributing to my suffering. I was taking a lot of medication. Was I taking it because I truly needed to, or was it just a routine and way to numb my feelings? I was also binge-drinking alcohol, often beginning to seclude myself from friends, and was very passive. I knew that something had to change. I started with simple things: First, I started developing Mantras. One was, “I wanted to make an impression on the world, not my couch.” Another was, “I was going to be in relentless pursuit of what set my soul on fire.” And what was the thing that set my soul on fire? To run again became my why. I was still in a poor state physically, with the CRPS spreading and the pain getting worse, but now I had something positive to focus on. And my why carried me through some pretty challenging places. In 6 years post-injury, I had 7 surgeries, each intensifying the pain. In 2018, I was allowed to amputate with a 99% chance of being completely pain-free. It was a scary decision. Can you imagine having to make that call?! Think about it. It was tough. But I put my way in front of everything. I was going to be in relentless pursuit of my why.

Unfortunately, the surgery did not rid me of the pain. The CRPS spread even more aggressively and took over almost the entire left side of my body. It was so bad that doctors were getting me ready to start seeking long-term medical care for the eventuality that it would spread throughout my body. Again, it is an incredibly tough blow. What did I do? What would you do? I had to resort back to my why. I had to continue pushing the needle forward. I was in so much pain, but I started going to the gym. I started celebrating the little victories, like walking through the gym door. Even if I couldn’t do much there, I leaned into the feeling of accomplishment. You see, you have two choices: (1) you can allow your focus to be on what you can’t do and let that discourage you, or (2) you can focus on what you can do and on positivity & progress. I decided that I was going to give myself love, grace, and gratitude and feed that as much as possible.

I went 2 years that way without a left foot. During that time, I was introduced to a device called a walk, a handless walking crutch that attaches to your leg. It was painful, but it allowed me to be upright instead of in a wheelchair. Instead of focusing on the limitations I had in my mobility, I decided that I would focus on what I could do on a knee crutch. I started going to a CrossFit gym and doing what I could. My progress was slow, but I showed up daily and put in work. I got to the point where I could participate in CrossFit competitions and, after some time, even Spartan races. I constantly fed my why. On March 12th, 2020, I was allowed to have yet another surgery. This time, I would be traveling out of state, which would be the most aggressive re-amputation a person could have. The 7-hour surgery remapped the nerves in the back of my leg and revised the structure of my limb. Who here remembers what happened in March 2020? The initial COVID shutdowns. The shutdowns began while I was in the hospital, and my floor was designated as the COVID wing. I was forced to fly home only 6 days after my surgery with a weakened immune system and prescribed isolation. I returned home to a new landscape of masks, hand sanitizer, lack of toilet paper, and closed physical therapy offices. It was clear that I was going to have to take my recovery into my own hands.

We were fortunate to live across the street from the beach then. I went outside often in my wheelchair, and I would sit outside for hours getting sunlight, watching people run & walk by, and trying to remember what that felt like. I kept visualizing myself running. Eventually, after a few months, the most amazing thing happened. The nerve pain began to decrease for the first time since the injury. You cannot imagine the amount of joy and relief I felt. The pain decreased to the point where I could be fitted for a prosthetic, and two months later, I took my first pain-free steps in almost 7 ½ years. Four months after that, I ran for the first time since my injury. I finally could experience my why, not just push toward it, an indescribable feeling. My Why has evolved a bit from that point. Going through such a challenging experience over such a long period allowed me to have a unique perspective on pain and suffering. I recognize that because of that experience, I have the unique opportunity to help others powerfully. I want to show people we are not as broken as we think. We are not our pain. We are not powerless. We need to flip the script that we have on a loop that we keep telling ourselves. That has become my new why. I want to impact the lives of others while living my dreams profoundly.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has been the most challenging experience of my life, but in the best way possible, navigating my emotions was very hard. Learning that I was the reason why I was suffering was even more complex. Learning to manage my anxiety, depression, PTSD, and everything else that came with my trauma was very difficult. I had to become a student of myself and listen to what my body and mind were telling me. I have learned to listen and give my mind and body what they need.

Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
I am an athlete and public speaker, and I help a couple of nonprofit foundations. My day-to-day is training full-time. I swim 5 days a week, approximately 15,000 yards a week right now. I run about 35 miles weekly and cycle about 100 miles weekly. I strength train about 2 days a week. When not training, I work on my public speaking and try to line up new events or develop new material.

I represent 2 Cincinnati based foundations:

• 988initiative where we aim to normalize the conversation around mental health and suicide prevention. I meet with local schools and share my journey in hopes of motivating and inspiring students to show up for the day while giving themselves love and grace. Focusing on small incremental gains over time. I share the tools that I developed to help me but ultimately encourage them to explore different techniques that work best for them.
• The Bridge Adaptive is the other foundation. We are Cincinnati’s adaptive sports foundation. I am their endurance chair member. My role is to help provide access to running, hand cycling, and push rims for cycling and swimming. Ultimately, the goal is to have Cincinnati be a hub for adaptive sports in the Midwest.

Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
I don’t consider myself “lucky” or “unlucky.” I consider myself to be incredibly fortunate to have gone through my journey, including the trauma. It’s become my most significant source of strength and pushes me forward. I live in gratitude and understand that I am incredibly fortunate. That vibration serves me best. I believe that things happen for me, not to me. How I respond is my choice. That can be a hard pill to swallow, but once you understand it, it’s very empowering.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.david-whelan.com
• Instagram: @Dave_whelan_unbreakable

Image Credits
James Mitchell