[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 134 (Wednesday, October 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2045-E2046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN RECOGNITION OF SEAN STEPHENSON'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 6, 1999

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable 
constituent and former intern with my office, Sean Stephenson. Sean 
Stephenson has a remarkable outlook on life, nutrition, and fitness. 
The following is an article on Sean Stephenson that was printed this 
summer in The Suburban LIFE Citizen, a local paper in my district. I 
encourage my colleagues to read the article and join me in applauding 
Sean Stephenson for his accomplishments. I wish Mr. Stephenson 
continued success in the future.

     Making A Change--Stephenson Adopts New Fitness, Health Regimen

                           (By Wendy Foster)

       He calls himself Mr. Tiny Universe . . . a fitness buff 
     with a whole new look.
       He is tiny . . . measuring in at 2 feet, 10 inches tall. 
     But diminutive stature aside, La Grange resident Sean 
     Stephenson's indomitable spirit combined with his enormous 
     strength of character make him in fact, larger than life.
       The 20-year-old was born with Osteogenisis Imperfecta, a 
     genetic connective tissue and bone disorder. Stephenson has a 
     serious form of the condition, which is characterized by 
     bones that break easily from little if any apparent cause.
       Never one to let his physical limitations affect his 
     academic, social, or business achievements Stephenson has now 
     set about improving his fitness and health through what he 
     calls a dramatic change in his lifestyle.
       Late last year Stephenson had several experiences that he 
     said changed his life drastically. This started, he recalled, 
     with a December trip to Florida with his family to attend a 
     Tony Robbins seminar.
       Robbins is a world-renowned inspirational speaker and the 
     author of popular self-improving books.
       Calling Robbins ``the world's greatest motivator,'' 
     Stephenson who has launched his own inspirational speaking 
     business explained, ``He's been my hero when it comes to 
     inspirational speaking.''
       A featured event scheduled toward the end of the seminar 
     was a fire walk. During this, seminar attendees were 
     encouraged to walk across hot coals. Stephenson went in his 
     wheelchair over to where Robbins was helping to supervise the 
     fire walk.
       Unable to walk, Stephenson was carried over the hot coals 
     in Robbins' arms. Stephenson recalled, ``It was the most 
     incredible experience . . . They were the most intense 
     seconds of my life . . . It felt like an angel was carrying 
     me up to heaven.''
       Stephenson and his family later had the opportunity to 
     visit with Robbins in his hotel room. Robbins questioned 
     Stephenson about his disability, and then put him in touch 
     with a physician friend of his in Utah.
       Several days prior to Christmas, Stephenson went to Utah to 
     see Dr. Robert Young, a hematologist with a speciality in 
     holistic medicine.
       Explaining his visit Stephenson said, ``He has a different 
     view on medicine. He tested my blood and showed me all of the 
     horrible garbage in my blood from eating wrong. He told me 
     that in order to get healthy and strengthen my bones, I would 
     need to change my eating habits.''
       He continued, ``Every doctor, every surgeon, everyone I 
     have ever gone to has been about taking a pill, a shot, or 
     having more surgery. None of them have made me feel the way 
     that a new nutritional program would . . . I didn't think 
     anything could change with my body through nutrition. I lived 
     on macaroni and cheese everyday. If it was green, I didn't 
     eat it.''
       After his consultation with Young, Stephenson did a 180-
     degree turn in terms of his eating habits, becoming an avid 
     vegan. A vegan, he explained, is someone who does not eat any 
     animal by-product.
       He has also drastically cut down on his consumption of 
     sugar, salt and foods made with yeast. Stephenson eats tofu, 
     rice, legumes, and water content foods, which he said are 
     vegetables high in water content.
       The one-time junk food eater now starts out his morning 
     with steamed broccoli and olive oil on a whole wheat 
     tortilla. Stephenson explained, ``It's packed with Vitamin C 
     and calcium and will keep me going strong till noon or 
     later.''
       Stephenson drinks water laced with a product that Young 
     calls super greens. Admitting that the concoction tastes like 
     ``fresh cut grass,'' Stephenson said it neutralizes acid in 
     the body.
       Describing his new eating habits Stephenson stressed, 
     ``This is not a diet. This is how I'm eating for life.''
       In addition to drastically changing his nutritional 
     program, Stephenson embarked upon a strenuous exercise 
     regime, working out for one and a half hours, five or six 
     days each week.
       He reported, ``It's the best thing that's ever happened to 
     me. I have basically gained muscle mass in massive amounts in 
     a small time.''
       Stephenson developed his own exercise program on his 
     computer. He now works out with weights, does stomach 
     crunches and

[[Page E2046]]

     push-ups, jogs in place while laying down, and works out with 
     a speed chair, the kind of wheel chair used in racing 
     competitions.
       Stating that most people quit exercising because of boredom 
     with their routines, Stephenson makes certain to alternate 
     his workout regularly.
       Stephenson reported that since he started his new nutrition 
     program and exercise regime. ``I believe that I'm a lot 
     stronger. When I'm reaching for something, I don't feel like 
     a bone is about to break. I feel more confident. I can now 
     lift my own body so I know I'm stronger.''
       For the first time in his life, Stephenson said, he has 
     been able to go down the stairs in his home un-aided. He 
     observed, ``It's amazing what I have been able to do.'' 
     Stephenson said, ``I was never told with my disorder to work 
     out. I have had hundreds of broken bones. If I had been told 
     to do things to strengthen my muscles in order to reduce my 
     risk of broken bones, I would have done this years ago.''
       While his ongoing goal is to increase his bone density, 
     Stephenson's long-term goal is to strengthen his muscles 
     enough to enable him to live independently.
       In what he admitted is a ``wild theory'' Stephenson also 
     hopes to decrease the chances of passing on his disorder to 
     his future children. He explained that he feels he can do 
     this if his ``body is in the best possible shape.''
       Stephenson now plans to use his personal experiences 
     leading up to his lifestyle change in his inspirational 
     speaking. He said, ``If I can work out, and I have a billion 
     and one reasons not to, then a healthy person definitely 
     should.''
       Stephenson continued, ``Exercising is not just for Arnold 
     Schwartznegger, it's for everyone. I could always say I break 
     really easily or it's not as if I will look any stronger. I 
     could rattle off a million of excuses and people would say 
     I'm probably right. But I have to put myself at the same 
     standard of health or even above if I want to be judged with 
     everyone else.''
       Stephenson stated, ``I look completely different than the 
     average fitness buff. People look at me and think `If a guy 
     in a wheel chair can do it I need to get off my duff and do 
     it.' I think it motivates them more than when they hear it 
     from someone who has giant muscles. They look at me and see 
     that even though I have things going against me, I'm willing 
     to get out there and make the best of my own body.''
       Stephenson concluded, ``Look at me, I'm 2'10 and I am in a 
     wheelchair and I have every reason in the world not to work 
     out. But I do. Why? Because I believe you need to use what 
     you were given in life.''

     

                          ____________________