Generations Conference: Life Happens, Plans Change, I'm possible

The Generations Conference is a highly regarded annual conference for professionals dealing with critical behavioral health and addiction issues confronting today's adult generations. This year, the topic was, "Life Happens, Plans Change, I'm possible!"

The event, which was March 16-17 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, featured Jeffrey A. Griffin, M Ed as the keynote speaker.

"I always dreamed of playing sports on the ‘big stage’. As a kid I envisioned playing football as a receiver for Brigham Young University. As a freshman, I played as a receiver for the Ricks College (BYU Idaho) Vikings," Griffin told the audience. 

"Our 11-0 season taught me a lot about being on a team and working together. Team, to me, means, 'Together Everyone Achieves More!'

"I was one step closer to fulfilling my dream until the following summer when a construction accident left me paralyzed from the waist down. I was devastated when I fell 40 feet and shattered my back. My dreams were shattered too. 

"I thought life without organized sports was over until I was introduced to wheelchair sports. It has changed my life for the better. It has given me the opportunity to see the world and meet new people and different cultures.

"As I picked through the broken pieces of my dreams, I realized I had a decision to make. I could either stay down and quit or get back up and succeed. My experience has motivated myself and others to desire, dream, and do and I have since fulfilled my lifelong dream of performing on the ‘big stage.’ 

"In 2004, I was a member of the USA Men’s Paralympic basketball team in Athens, Greece. I competed in Amsterdam, Holland, as a member of the USA Men’s National World Championship team in 2006. I currently play for the National Wheelchair Basketball Association's (NWBA) Utah Wheelin' Jazz, and was the 2007 NWBA All-Star West MVP. 

"I am currently the #1 men's singles wheelchair tennis player in the State of Utah and have won the St. George Marathon. I also hold the 2008 Guinness World Record for the most free throws from a wheelchair.

"These successes, although impressive, do not define who I am. What really defines me is my ability to overcome life’s great challenges one step at a time!"