For this young athlete, that turned out not to be the case. Now 31, Cameron travels the country as a competitive surfer and triathlete, a film and TV actor, and a motivational speaker who works with child amputees and service members who have lost limbs. His efforts on behalf of the amputee community earned him the prestigious Shining Star, an award given out by the national nonprofit Just One Break, to those who best represent or empower Americans living with disabilities -- recipients have included Christopher Reeve and Ray Charles. And today, reflecting back on that consequential September day in 2001, Cameron terms his accident a point of “metamorphosis” that turned him into the man he is today, someone who doesn’t feel at all restricted or powerless due to his status as a triple amputee.
The key has been refusing to wait for others to hand him solutions, instead finding his own way around whatever challenges his condition presents.
“I’m all about adapting myself to the world,” he says. “Not having the world adapted to me.”
