Living with Courage: Embracing Fear to Follow Your Heart: Kelley Kalafatich at TEDxBend

Kelley is an adventure guide, explorer, and novice-filmmaker who paved the way for women to become guides in the adventure travel industry. Today, paralyzed from the waist down after ingesting a waterborne parasite on the first descent of the Blue Nile River, Kelley continues to illustrate the need for courage to make the world better.
Her experiences include:

- Trainer for third-world locals who continue to earn living wages for their families as guides on their native rivers

- Guide on historic journeys that retraced the steps of great explorers such as John Muir's expedition through Alaska and Teddy Roosevelt's wilderness river descent through the rain forests of Brazil

- Stunt woman for Meryl Streep in the movie "The River Wild"

- Award-winning documentary film maker for the movie "Three Women, 300 Miles," which chronicled her river-board (similar to large boogie-board) trip through the Grand Canyon.

Kelley inspires listeners to live in the moment, embracing and not shying from fear. She uses her spinal cord injury to support all people in their pursuit of living the life they dream.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[johnnielawson]

My deepest respect Kelly, you are an inspiration.
Blessings to you and yours.
Johnnie Lawson

[Mrphsm]

"...coming up with new dreams and goals to replace the old ones."  
Growth mindset !!

[sarahdavis]

I came across your talk in the search for TEDx talks on courage. And when I saw the description I cried, before I even pressed play. I met with Mark Tanner because I'm planning the same expedition. And he told me briefly your story. I'd returned from Uganda and the Nile a few months before and had been meaning to talk the bilharzia meds. I took them that night. And now I have just watched your talk. You have clearly shown courage throughout your life, from your years as a pioneering female rafting guide and now more than ever after your life being turned on it's head thanks to that tiny parasite and giving this truly inspiring talk. Thank you for sharing your story.

[ireneperez]

I guess she's right, even when your dreams can lead into terrifying consequences as her, you should never regret of making them true, cause they made you happy once.
And I guess happiness wouldn't be the same without fear or without sadness because then, we would never get to appreciate joy.

[Redwood]

thanks Kelley.  I often have fear of taking on the big waves in the happens if I get slammed on the sand and break my spine, what if a shark attacked me, what if I got carried out to sea and drowned and so on.  your talk reminded me that often danger is not where we expect it to be, its somewhere else where we wouldn't think to look, so we might as well do what we love, face our fears, knowing that the danger is probably somewhere else.

[theChannel]

She's amazing! Her vulnerability is so refreshing!

[yasmeen]

I've been watching TED-Talk all day. Your peach is the best thing I've heard today. Thank you for sharing :)

[alir.]

I had tears in my eyes by the end of the talk while eating breakfast.  Thank you for the talk.  It was very inspirational.  

[TheUnanymous]

This is by far one of the most genuine and inspiring story Ive heard :)

[heartworkbykitty]

I wish I could hug her. She's such an amazing courageous person

[sarapanaitescu]

Beautiful lady. Blessings and love from everybody! Thank you!

[maverickjackman]

WoW Kelley! I appreciate your sincere messages. This is simple but exactly what 99% of everyone needs to hear and hear it from someone who has been there and done that!! X

[suzannejohnson]

That was a very moving talk. I am glad you pushed past your fear to give this talk. I hope you found a way to get more relief from the neurological pain in your legs. Suzanne

[jbaby]

I wish her story was more cohesive but I'm glad she shared.

[mariecook]

Beautiful story. I have been inspired. Thank you for sharing your story. Storytelling connects our HEARTS

[joshualipovetsky]

This hit me hard, and in such a beautiful way. Thank you so much, Kelly.

[jandersen]

Kelley, thanks for sharing your journey. Book that's personally been really helpful in discovering a new perspective in the face of physical limitation and suffering - 'A New Earth' - E. Tolle. Best wishes

[raspberry]

What great advice from such a kind soul

[ChienMinistries]

Perfect love cast out fear.!!! You are beautiful inside out, Kelley.!!! You are the light shining in the dark.!!! Blessings & Much love from Chien.

[Lisa_In_Canada]

Inspirational and touching. She is a lovely and honest speaker. I am a better person for hearing her story.