Many of you know Lou Ferrigno from his days as the star on the hit TV series, The Incredible Hulk. He is also an accomplished actor that has starred in two documentaries on body building and fitness that have a cult-like following, several TV shows and big-screen movies.
But what many of you might not know is that Lou is deaf. When he was an infant he suffered from an ear infection and lost 85% of his hearing (though his condition was not diagnosed until he was three years old). Because of that, he’s had to learn how to read lips and speak without being able to hear his own voice. Undeterred by what some may have perceived as a disadvantage, he threw himself into athletics and competing with himself. Recently I had Lou speak at my Boot Camp about overcoming adversities and challenges. He spoke about how to break through fears, uncertainty and doubts so you can pursue your biggest, toughest goals. I’m certain you’ll find this video very inspirational as did the folks at my event.
One more AMAZING fact: Lou recently had a new surgical procedure done to enable him to hear. He turned this device on for the first time right before going on stage at my event…talk about guts! That’s why I’m sitting on stage with him; he wasn’t sure he would be able to hear the audience’s questions and he wouldn’t be able to read their lips with the lights shining in his eyes and the distance from the stage. Therefore, I was going to repeat the questions in case he couldn’t hear (he’d read my lips). You’ll see that he heard perfectly. What an amazing, generous and courageous man! I’m proud of him and how he’s giving back by speaking to groups like ours.
