S10: Episode 2 – Admiral Kyle Cozad’s New Purpose After His Accident

This week’s podcast, we are privileged to listen to an inspiring story of Admiral Kyle Cozad. Author of the book title Relentless Positivity: A Common Veteran Battling Uncommon Odds, Kyle Cozad is a retired US Navy Rear Admiral and current President and CEO of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.

Kyle shared the accident he had last March 16, 2018 in his last assignment in the Navy, in Pensacola Florida. It was the accident that changed his life forever. It was a night when he was supposed to go to the bed already, he went upstairs in a narrow and steep stairs then all of a sudden he tumbled over the banister. As a result he suffered a spinal cord injury from T12 to L2. He completely lost feeling below the waist. That’s when his journey started and been on for almost 5 years.

He barely remembered anything at all, all he could remember was his wife called 911 and the next day he had 7 hours surgery. His neurosurgeon said that his case was worse than what’s the result of the MRI and said that he might not get out of the wheelchair ever again.

While in the ICU, lying in bed, all he could ever think was what would be his next step, if he’s going to buy a 1-storey house for his family, how to take care of his family. He was thinking of medical retirement, and if it could afford for their family’s living. 

In spite of what the doctor initially said that he might not be able to walk again, he relearn walking in his therapy session. Everytime he would aim to have 1 more step than yesterday. From 5 steps to 10 to 15 to 50 to 100 steps! He was able to do what the doctor told he will not be able to do anymore and his doctor was very happy. 

When his son came back from his first deployment as a pilot in the Navy after 8 months, in November that year, Kyle was able to walk towards the helicopter and gave him a hug. It felt a hundred miles but it was just a hundred yards. 

A couple of months later, Kyle was invited for an introduction for adaptive sports for the Navy wounded warrior program. It was then he met a lot of people with similar significant disabilities who are recovering from illnesses. That time he shared what he went through. It was therapeutic and encouraging for him. That was when someone said that he should write a book so that he could reach not just a couple of dozen people but thousands of people who need encouragement. 

His book is for everybody, not just for disabled people, it’s for people who are struggling financially, or even those who did not get their desired jobs, because it’s not a prescriptive book, it’s not a step by step process book. The book is meant to inspire and motivate people.

The following important points were discussed:

1. When we overcome, gotta have that goal for yourself, got to have that something that pushes you to do one thing better than yesterday.
2. Being an overcomer it’s more about mental agility, your willingness to say “I’m not gonna give up!”. 
3. People will tell you what you can’t do, you have to refuse to accept that. Instead show them what you can do through heart and action.
4. Disability is not the end of the world. Disability is just a new ability that you have to figure out how to deal with.  
5. Let the people see you being vulnerable sometimes, a lot of times you don’t know who you’re inspiring through your actions. 

Listen to this episode of the Overcomer’s Podcast to be inspired by the life of Kyle Cozad. He did not let the accident he had to paralyzed him for the rest of his life, even though it was what the doctor said to him. He overcame that phase of his life and became an inspirational speaker and an author. Because of that accident he is now living a purposeful life, to encourage and motivate those who are struggling.

To connect with Kyle Cozad visit him in his Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rearadmiralkc/, Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cozad-80b038101/.  

For more of the Overcomer’s Podcast, visit our website at overcomers-podcast.com or listen to all of our episodes on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.

00:53 – 03:03

Kyle shared how he got into an accident that caused him to suffer from a spinal cord injury from T12 to L2, completely losing feeling below the waist.

6:43 – 10:00

The Doctor told Kyl that he could never get out on a wheelchair again.

10:17 – 12:27

Kyle shared about his therapy and how he relearn walking.

15:59 – 19:03

Kyle was invited to a program in the Navy and shared how he met many people like him and then someone told him to write a book to share his story all over the world to inspire not just a couple of dozen.

21:05 – 22:50 

Kyle talked about how he wrote the book and where the title came from.