Steve Wampler has Cerebral Palsy. When his public school in Lafayette, CA wasn’t sure they could support him, his parents helped to educate them that he was AS capable as any other kid in school. Cerebral palsy has varying degrees of severity and Steve is a highly functional individual who tells a story much like any one of his peers.
Steve’s Story:
After high school, Steve chose to go to UC Davis to study environmental engineering and then came down to Coronado immediately after to look for a job. He worked for Raychem for 3 years and then teamed up with his wife to start an event planning company. In 2002, he decided to set up the non-profit organization, The Wampler Foundation, dedicated to help kids with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, and Spina Bifida, achieve their dreams.
Steve moved to Coronado and fell in love with the small town, friendly atmosphere, the focus on the outdoors, and of course the ease of accessibility by wheelchair. He lives in town all year round with his wife, Elizabeth, and his two kids. In his free time, Steve spends time in his back yard tending to his koi fish, bullfrogs, and gold fish.
Camp Nejedly
Growing up, Steve went to Camp Nejedly every year between the ages of 9 and 18. The camp shut down in 1992 and when Steve started the Foundation, his primary mission was to restart the Camp Nejedly for kids with disabilities. The camp itself is designed to push the kids beyond their comfort zone and challenge them to do things they didn’t think they could do.
El Capitan
Steve first told his wife his idea to climb El Capitan (Yosemite National Park), and she thought he was crazy. He said he wanted to do something big to put the Foundation on the map and more importantly show all the disabled kids, their families, and their communities, that barriers and walls are only put up so someone can break them down. That is Steve in a nutshell. He pushes himself to inspire and motivate not only the disabled, but anyone and everyone who have dreams they haven’t pursued.
Final Words
The most impressive part of my time with Steve was his passion for just doing things as someone WITHOUT Cerebral Palsy would: he truly lives a life that proves he is ABLE, not disabled. Steve is the kind of person who creates his own path and doesn’t let anyone or anything stop him from pursuing his dreams. It’s hard to communicate in text the warm feelings you get when listening to Steve and why he does what he does: Here’s a video that may give you an idea of who he is, and what his mission is.
Movie Star
Come out and support the Wampler Foundation and its cause by purchasing tickets to watch the sneak peak of Wall: The Journey Up” on 9/17/11. This event is NOT a Bring Your Own.
The Wampler Family
