Shortly following Dale's life-shattering accident, his oldest sister finally succumbed to her five-year battle with breast cancer, passing away in July at age 40. Five months later Dale was hit with the news that his mother also had cancer, and she died 13 months later.

"It was pretty tough coming back and adjusting to my new life. But in 1999, a friend of mine encouraged me to get into rowing as an activity. It was nice. It helped me pass the time and build my self-confidence. I lifted some weights before the accident, but I was never into any sports before." Dale's first event was a little regatta on Green Lake in Seattle, and he was hooked. His friend had participated in the first-ever World Rowing Championships for the disabled in Seville, Spain 2001. "She urged me to join the Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA). She worked with me and suggested I join their adaptive rowing program -- special rowing shells (boats) and equipment for the physically impaired -- and began training me."

Dale's friend pushed him to submit his rowing times to U. S. World Rowing Coach Tom Hewitt in Philadelphia. And on June 20^th, Dale received the good news in an email that he had been accepted. "You are our fittest and strongest candidate and I'm impressed with your enthusiasm." Dale was accepted for the "Arm's-only" fixed-seat rowing portion of the competition, which requires excellent endurance and cardiovascular conditioning.

Dale feels that competing at Milan is a once-in-a-lifetime event. "If I don't take the opportunity to do it now, who's to say it's going to happen next year or the year after? There's up and coming people and I'm not getting any younger, so I'm going to seize the moment." If he can't raise the money, he'll have to find a way to pay for the expenses somehow himself.

Dale is a positive and extraordinarily upbeat individual, who makes mincemeat out of the well-loved term, Carpe Diem. He has formed his destiny by fierce determination of will. Nothing seems to hold him back. We asked him how being confined to a wheelchair has stopped him from achieving his life's goals: "You know what? There's nothing I can't do. Nothing. If I set my mind to it, I will do it. I might have to go around to get to the top of the mountain instead of going straight up, but I'll get there. You have to have goals and I want to just be the best I can be, ya know?"

An example of Dale's grounding in reality-based determination is his response to our question on regaining the future use of his legs: "My injury is a T-8, which means I do not have a lot of abdominal control from my mid-chest area downward. Science and technology is great, but there will probably not be any cure in my lifetime. The only thing for sure is that I'm not just going to sit back and wait for it. I'm carrying on with my life to make it the best, most meaningful, life I can."

"I was very fortunate that I did not get killed that night in 1994. I had no plans or goals for my life and was essentially throwing it away, living day by day. My friends and I, that's all we did. I lifted weights some, but mostly just drank and goofed off. I used to wake up in the morning and wonder how I got home. But my car was there, so I must have driven home, having black-outs. Then I'd sit on the couch and wonder, 'Are the cops going to come knock on my door and arrest me?' It's a scary past when I look back on it. I was stupid. When I slammed into that pole, my blood alcohol content was .248. I was hospitalized a total of 10 weeks that year, but was finally able to make it back to work in October."

Now Dale makes every moment count. He trains in Lake Sammamish with the assistance of SRA staff three to four times each week, about two hours per work-out. He also uses an adaptive (specially-equipped) mono-ski for down hill skiing. Dale also works out lifting weights at Gold's Gym in Everett, which is where he was able to test and record his rowing times that were sent to the U. S. Rowing Association. And last March he participated in the West Palm Beach Wheelchair National Bodybuilding event, he placed 2^nd in his class. Dale's sculpted body looks like "Ahnald" in T-3, but the only response I got when I asked for the size of his biceps was a humble pink face and a shy, "That's embarrassing."

Dale has also been working for his Bachelor's degree in Aviation Management and is only two courses away from achieving his goal.

But a large part of Dale's life is now focused on helping other people: "I spoke at the Sultan High School about two years ago. I work with "Think First" a Head and Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program, based out of Harborview Medical Center, I have spoken at different schools throughout a five-county area to educate kids about the proper use of seatbelts, helmets, drinking and driving, water safety, playground safety and Choices. We don't preach to them, but we give them information and our personal stories. They tend to listen from someone who has experienced first-hand the results of ill-conceived or thoughtless actions, rather than hearing just another adult telling them what not to do, which is the last thing they want to hear. I've been doing that for four years. I'm also part of the mentor program through the State of Washington DSHS working with juveniles in detention centers, trying to give them a positive influence and role model in their life. Like Echo Glen, if they're four to six months from being released, if someone wants a mentor to help guide them, I offer myself . One of the fellows I've worked with is 15 years old and has already been sentenced to Echo Glen three times, at least once for stealing a car, and possession of narcotics. I feel that if I can get through to one student, I've met one of my personal goals." And can do it again.

We asked Dale why the residents of Sultan would be interested enough in his accomplishments to donate to his Milan trip expenses. His response: "I had never really thought about that before. But I guess for local pride and perhaps for inspirational purposes, to let them know that people with disabilities can do a lot of different things in their life. I like Sultan. I've been here since 1997, and bought the first home on 5^th Drive. Although I was born and raised in eastern Montana, I want to live in Sultan for awhile and I'd like to make a nice, positive influence on the community."

We asked Dale if he'd experienced any problems, physically getting around in Sultan: "Actually, at one point I did when I was trying to use 4^th up here. They didn't have all the curb cut-outs. And then when they redid High Street, they put them in. The mayor, you know, he lives right down there off High Street. And he was out there working on his truck one day and I stopped and talked to him about it. I let him know it's a hazard, not only for myself -- 'cause I had to wheel down the street instead of the sidewalk -- but also for others, kids and families. Because when I'm using the street, especially when it's a street that allows parking, then children with bikes and cars have to go into the other lane in order to pass by me and my wheelchair, it's a danger to everybody. And then when they redid High Street, boom! It was, like, Wow! I think I probably put a bug in the mayor's ear to do that. I'm hoping I made a difference there. But as far as accessibility goes in general it's difficult from time to time. But that's just one of the challenges you have to go through when you're in the chair. Sometimes when I go to restaurants, they don't have accessibility up front and I have to go through the kitchen."

Dale told us that most major car dealerships charge $1,000 to install hand controls on a new vehicle. But many car manufacturers -- like Ford (he has an Explorer) -- offer it free on their new cars as part of their disability program, because they want everybody to drive their cars. "Rich's Mobility down in Maltby sold me that. They make all kinds of different conversion vans and stuff for people who don't really have full use of their hands. They have some vans down there that are $70,000 to $90,000 with all the adaptive equipment, ramps, etc."

Before we left, I thanked Dale for his time and said he was a true inspiration on how to make your life count, to those of us who are not "handicapped," but who take health and life for granted and seem to spend all our waking moments securing "things." His response?: "You can have all the materialistic stuff in the world, but you know what? The family and friends and the stories and memories you leave behind with them are what really matter. And I want my nieces and nephews to remember Uncle Dale as is a person who did the best he could and never gave up."

Couldn't have said it better myself, Dale.

____________________________________________________________

(To contribute to Dale's expense fund, write a check payable to: PRPD. Also, be certain to place the following notation in the "memo" line on the check: "Milan Account, Dale Doornek." (This contribution is fully tax deductible through PRPD, a 501-3C non-profit organization.)

Send the check to: