To deliver the message that disability is only in the mind, Brett Eastburn only has to take a drink of soda.
‘When your next speaker comes up, ask them to take a drink of soda, then cheer wildly when they do,? said Eastburn, who can open and drink the canned beverage despite no arms or legs. ‘They’ll think you’re weird.?
Eastburn capped a day of speakers talking about overcoming obstacles in life in Clarkston Elementary School’s Reach for the Stars event, co-chaired by Gail Berman and Karen Ayotte.
‘I learned you really can do anything if you work hard,? said third-grader Ryan Donnelly.
‘Don’t give up, because if you don’t, you can actually do it,? said classmate Logan Johns.
Speakers addressed all types of obstacles, social as well as physical, in the 15th-annual event.
‘I learned that even if you’re a boy or a girl, you can still do what you want to do,? said Sara Loucks, third grader.
Eastburn, born in 1971 with a congenital birth defect, played baseball, football, basketball, swimming, and wrestling in school. He wrestled on his high school varsity team, making captain, and he placed fourth in the nation in the 1988 Amateur Athletic Union wrestling competition.
He has been a motivational and inspirational speaker for 17 years for schools, businesses, and other groups all over the world.
‘Even as a young kid I felt I had a message I wanted to give to society,? he said.
‘I was a junior in high school when I started using public speaking as a vehicle to do that.?
About a year ago, he added stand-up comedy to his repertoire.
‘I wanted to do something different,? he said. ‘It’s funny, but I’ve found that people still find it inspirational and motivational.?
For more information, check www.bretteastburn.net.