Foreword by Alison
Rape Survivor, Inspirational Speaker and author of the bestseller “I Have Life” |
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| Most of us who are old enough to have read the newspapers at the time of Chris’s poisoning, will remember the story with horror and fascination. It is one of those human tragedies that stays with you over the years, and when you are reminded of it you may wonder “Whatever happened to those involved?” and perhaps “How would I have handled that if it had happened to me?” It was these same questions that I had in the forefront of my mind when I met Chris for the first time in early 2002. As an inspirational speaker myself, I have had the opportunity to meet many people with extraordinary stories of courage and tenacity. We had made public our interest to represent other speakers with inspirational stories to share, because of the positive and grateful response from audiences towards real-life heroes. Chris had contacted our office and we traveled to Swellendam to meet him. I love Chris! I loved him from the first moment that I met him! He is self-assured, resilient, funny, pragmatic and down-to-earth. Chris kept us entertained the entire time that we visited with him and his family, with many stories of his long road to recovery and I was continually amazed at his ability to laugh at himself and at his situation. This was even more significant when we witnessed the obvious physical challenges that are still part of his daily life. I was convinced then, and I am even more so now that I have read this full account of his story, that it is Chris’s wonderful ability to bring humour and a sense of acceptance into his life that has made him the inspirational survivor that he is. “Stand Up and Walk” is a fascinating and intriguing account of the events that led to Chris’s poisoning and his life to date. There are many life lessons that we can discover in reading this book, but for me the overriding one is Belief! To believe in the unlimited potential that lies within each one of us to make possible the impossible; to do extraordinary things within ordinary circumstances; to believe in ourselves beyond what we are told we are capable of. Chris – I commend you for believing in yourself with no limitations so that you could Stand up and Walk. I also applaud you on writing this book (finally! Thank you, Evelyn!) and on your indomitable spirit that is at the heart of your tale and in everything that you are. |
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| ALISON ~ Rape Survivor, Inspirational Speaker and author of the bestseller “I Have Life” . www.alison.co.za |  |
