Barbara Bush: "I am so glad to have this opportunity to send my warmest greetings and congratulations to Rob and Wanice Bryant. Rob's determination certainly is an enormous inspiration. George joins me in sending our very best wishes."

Arnold Schwartzenegger: "Congratulations on your accomplishment of a cross country trip on a row-cycle. That was a monumental achievement, and I wish to congratulate you on both your mental and physical endurance. I deeply admire what you have done!"

Tom Landry: "Rob is a coach's kind of guy, he never quits. Rob set two world records even though he is paralyzed from the waist down. He is a man of faith, and I am looking forward to walking with him in heaven someday." (Quote from a network program in which Tom Landry hosted.)

Zig Ziglar: "Rob Bryant is an effective speaker! He had our staff laughing one minute and crying the next. He is an inspirational man who, by example as well as a very effective presentation, is able to give encouragement and hope to those who have the privilege of listening to him. He will be a "hit" with your group. Rob's message is timely and challenging - one that you will long remember. Rob has a champion's heart and is an encouragement and inspiration to us all.

Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., Author & Aerobics Authority: "Rob I am overwhelmed by your accomplishment in the face of unbelievable obstacles! You are worthy of the highest praise for motivating millions of people to improve their health and fitness."

Joni Erickson Tada: "Rob believes that we should never give up! God has given us the ability to either accept our situation, or change it." (Quote from a broadcast)

"USA Today ", Ben Brown: "The next time you moan about 20 minutes on an exercise bike, think about Rob Bryant, a 35-year old aerospace engineer, who has just finished a four-month, 3,280 mile workout on an oar-equipped tricycle ... Though paralyzed from the waist down, he also pushed and pulled himself with crutches over 24 miles from Fort Worth to Dallas!"

Rob is a Speaker, father of two, World Renowned Motivator, Guinness World Record holder, author (3 books), vice president W/CSC (Fortune 500 company), and licensed preacher.

My life story before 1975 was very normal. I was the product of a happy childhood and a torn adolescence because of a divorce. I tried to escape from my problems by joining the U.S. Air Force. My mundane life changed forever when one night while guarding a nuclear storage facility, I stole government protected objects to prove security was poor. For the next few months my life was turned upside down by several officers who were trying to court-martial me and send me to prison. Soon after the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence - Thank God for helping me in my youth!

Major accident in 1982. In 1982, I was a husband, father of one, and an employee of a large corporation in the oil-field business. In December, I was performing a routine operation on an oil rig. Suddenly a pulley broke and I fell 55 feet straight down. My back was broken, spinal cord severed, and I lost feeling and movement from the waist down. Within seconds, I began hemorrhaging due to internal bleeding. I fought for my life with each breath. Not wanting to die, I declared that I would live because I wanted to see my second child (my wife was eight months pregnant), if only one time.

I survived but was crushed, when I was told that I would never walk again. My friends and relatives rallied around me once again in prayer. I had no movement from the waist down, yet I was determined to walk again. In so doing, I broke several weight lifting records and ignored the pain. Even though it was impossible, I began using braces and crutches to walk. Enough movement returned in my left leg for me to walk out of the largest rehabilitation center on the West Coast — that's God!. I discovered that it was prayer that gave me the strength, not just hard work and determination.

A World Record. I set new goals for walking, despite several back operations, decubitus sores on my feet, and serious burns from the knees down. I could walk ten steps, then one block, and then one mile. Incredibly, after a year of training, I then went on to walk from Fort Worth to Dallas (24 miles), using braces and crutches, setting a World Record. Soon after, a publisher released my book, "Lord Lift Me Up, and let me stand" and I began sharing my testimony to churches, civic organizations, and universities.

And a second World Record. I tried to live as normal a life as a paraplegic, husband, and father of two can live. I found that my upper body was stronger now than before my accident, and I began rowing a rowcycle (three wheeled row machine) for exercise. I found myself traveling farther and farther each weekend. I discovered that the existing Guinness World Record for any type of row machine was 795 miles. Through prayer, I discovered that God was calling this old paraplegic to set another world record. I couldn't think about anything else. I set a totally unrealistic goal of traveling 3,280 miles from the West Coast to the East Coast!

After training for two years, my trip began in Los Angeles, on April 2, 1990 on the rowcycle. The reason for the trip was to give God the Glory and encourage His people to not give up in the face of adversity. I lost 17 pounds from my already lean muscular frame because in addition to rowing, sickness, and other challenges, I spoke to 76 churches, six military bases, five hospitals, and three rehab centers. As a matter of fact, I spoke 100 times within 120 days.

The adventures of the trip began in California as we began crossing 1200 miles of desert and the Southern Rockies. We faced forty to sixty mile per hour head winds as we went over Guadeloupe' Pass in Texas (5685' high).

Many obstacles. As we moved out of the desert into the deep south, we faced heavy rains, tornadoes and even hail. One night while bathing, my left foot was burned because I could not feel scalding hot water dripping on it. They were second degree burns. This is part of the problem with paralysis. An infection set in and threatened the trip, but I would not quit. One night in June my team had to fly home because of a medical emergency, this left me deserted. It appeared that the trip was over. My wife and I were very moved as we discovered that ministers, friends and relatives were flying in from all over the country to help me finish the trip. While traversing through Tennessee, I became very ill as the result of a 102 degree fever from a kidney infection. Once again, I could not quit. My motivation was my children. I knew that if I quit, I would be teaching them that it was acceptable to give up on the dreams God would give them. As a father, I could not do this. In Wheeling, W.V., I crashed the rowcycle and received a mild concussion, broken toe, deep scrapes on my elbows and back, and a deep puncture in my right leg. With only three hundred mile to go, I would not give up.

To the finish line. The final challenge was the Appalachian Mountains with 10 percent grades and up. I finished at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on July 30th. I was met by a Senator, several congressman, an Admiral and media (USA Today, People Magazine, Presidents Council on Physical Fitness, TV, radio and newspapers). On August 3rd, the flag that flew over the Capitol was in my honor. My wife and I received letters from the President, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many other dignitaries. The "Row Across America" received a Guinness World Record. Soon after, I wrote the book, "The Impossible Made Possible".

Looking forward. I have now written a third book entitled, "Walking Through Adversity," published by HCI. The premise of this book is simple yet profound. To accomplish a goal of any size, we have to: set the goal, visualize the steps, count the cost, pay the price, and not ever give up on our goals. This book uses several short stories and culminates in the two world records listed above.

I am the Vice President of Quality and Six Sigma for CSC. I am very happy in this company and I still speak to many organizations each year on the weekends and teach Six Sigma around the country (when it is not a conflict of interest and CSC allows me).

I conclude that I can sit in my wheelchair and feel sorry for myself, or I can concentrate on the things that God has given me the ability to do, and do them well. God has given me a brain and two strong arms to use, and I plan to going as far as my imagination and determination will carry me. I can't give up because I have set the goal, visualized the steps, counted the cost, I am willing to pay the price, and I am never going to give up on my dreams in the future. If I did it - YOU CAN TOO!!