R Mark introduced John Cairnes:
Upon completion from High School, John became employed with Canadian National Railways. Instantly, all John's goals and dreams both personally and professionally tumbled into an abyss of devastation. On November 30, 1992, at the age of 26, while assembling a train in Toronto yard, John was run over by a 68 ton railway car. John instantly suffered the loss of his right arm and right leg.
After four months recovery at Sunnybrook Trauma Center, John spent the next two years at the Worker's Compensation Rehabilitation Centre, re-learning activities of daily living all over again, all while losing his right-side dominance. Through the efforts of dedicated professionals, John's own self-determination, vision and commitment, John has adopted an undefeated winning attitude.
John has dedicated his life to enhancing the quality of people's lives by sharing his own battles and victories to motivate and be a lighthouse of encouragement. John aspires to inspire to make a difference towards improving human and community capital. John is a graduate form the University of Waterloo in Social Development Studies and Social Work Degree program.
John is Past President of the Rotary Club of Belleville. John is past Director and Alumni with the Quinte Health Care Board of Directors and Belleville General Hospital Foundation. John is a recipient of Volunteer Award for Excellence in Volunteer Service, Rotary International Presidential Citation, and recipient of the Les Faludy Award of Leadership Excellence. John was the Past Chair of the Board of Directors for Volunteer Information Quinte, an Advisory -Member of Belleville Municipal Accessibility Advisory Council, Board Member with Quinte Children's Foundation, and Board Member of the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce. John is the CEO and Founder of Wheelchair of Hope Foundation, providing hope, and independence through freedom of mobility.
In 2016, John received Canada's Walk of Fame Unsung Hero Award for outstanding Philanthropic Service.
John enjoys participating in various sports; golfing, snow-boarding, mountain climbing, swimming. He is a certified advanced scuba -diver and skydives. John participated in Dancing With The Stars in support of Volunteers Information Quinte. John has also successfully summited the world's tallest free standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro on August 7th, 2016, in Tanzania, Africa. Most recently, John successfully summited Mount Everest Base Camp at 6,400m, in May 2018 in an inspiring and advocacy role for Humanity.
John has recently been appointed as the Honourary Colonel CFB Trenton 8 Wing 2 Air Movement Squadron.
As a Motivational Speaker - John delivers his dynamic positive attitude presentation with heart, wit and wisdom to thousands of people within local and national audiences. John call's his tragedy a 'gift' .. a gift he now shares with others! Turning 'impossibilities into possibilities' has made him a ... Voice of Victory!
John shared pictures and stories of his 2018 summit to Everest Base Camp.
He says any day above ground is a good day. He had to get up about 5am to come share with us today.
He refuses wants to live everyday full of life, to leave nothing back.
In May 2018, after training for a year and 1/2 John flew to Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. Population of about 2.5 million people. Very touristy. They have a rich culture in Nepal. They had experienced an earthquake sometime before he arrived. From Kathmandu, he flew to Lukla, a small airport in the mountains, the most dangerous airport in the world, only 1,700 ' long, about 2200 m elevation, surrounded by mountains and subject to winds. There apparently was a fatal crash at this airport in 2017.
John took his first steps up the mountain in Lukla (R Dan had to confirm is was John in pictures). On the trek up the mountain, they had to cross Hilary Suspension bridge, 110 m high and animals take right of way on this swaying bridge. John expressed the steps of pain taking 6 hours to climb about 800 m. After 3rd day he was pretty exhausted.
Mount Everest is 8,848 m elevation, there has been 250 deaths by those seeking to reach summit, some memorials to the dead, left where they fell along the trail. And an estimated 1.2 tons of garbage left along the trail.
At Namche Bazaar at elevation 3,400 m they stopped 3 days to climatize to the elevation and thinner oxygen. Everything in this town was walked in by humans or yaks. The porters are small people who carry very heavy loads, heavier then they are, and they do it happily.
John remembered to appreciate the beauty along the way as they traveled up through and above the clouds, going from 10 celcius to -18 celcius.
At times, the trek is up incline of 50 degrees, he basically had to crawl up the mountain. But he made it to base camp.
Why did he do it? to smash beliefs, chase resistant, to show what is possible and he believes you must give something to gain something.
'Impossible is only an opinion, not a fact.'
John started the Wheelchair of Hope Foundation after almost hitting a gentleman in a wheelchair that was in poor shape. John stopped to help, and ended up raising enough money to get this man a decent wheelchair, and the concept for Wheelchair of Hope was launched. The idea to give people freedom through mobility. Wheelchairs are very expensive ($10,000 to $30,000) and not a lot of government support. Mobility and freedom can give people dignity, changing not only their lives but the lives of those around them. They can give back.
They recently were able to send 15 wheelchairs to the Dominican Republic where they had none.
Next weekend, April 13th, they are holding their Gala Catwalk4Change, fashion show at Knights of Columbus hall in Trenton. Cost $150 each. They pair models of diversity with an able bodied person.