How Can We Pivot and Prosper in the New Year? – with Joe Delagrave [Ep. 51]

Linda J. Hansen: Welcome, thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Prosperity 101 Breakroom Economics Podcast. My name is Linda J. Hansen, your host and the author of Prosperity 101, Job Security Through Business Prosperity, the Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, and the creator of the Breakroom Economics online course. The book, the course, and the entire podcast library can be found on Prosperity101.com.

I seek to connect boardroom to break room and policy to paycheck by empowering and encouraging employers to educate employees about the public policy issues that affect their jobs. My goal is to help people understand the foundations of prosperity, the policies of prosperity, and how to protect their prosperity by becoming informed, involved, and impactful. I believe this will lead to greater employee loyalty, engagement, and retention, and to an increased awareness of the blessings and responsibilities of living in a free society. Listen each week to hear from exciting guests and be sure to visit Prosperity101.com.

How can we pivot and prosper in the new year? To celebrate this first year of the podcast, I thought about recapping episodes and highlighting listener favorites. I may do that in the future, but as I prayed about the content of this episode, I realized there was one particular interview that truly provided a balanced approach to facing challenges, whether in our country, our businesses, or our personal lives.

As health challenges, isolation, grief, civil unrest, pandemic politics, business lockdowns, and economic losses dominated our 2020, how can we pivot and prosper in 2021? What obstacles can we turn into opportunities and how can we turn hardships into triumphs? There was pain in 2020, but good things emerged too. How can we build on those as we approach the new year?

The episode I recorded last spring with U.S. Paralympian Joe Delegrave inspires us all to face our own challenges and opportunities with renewed hope, wisdom, and grace. This episode was a listener favorite, and I pray it will be a blessing to you as you approach the new year. May we all pivot and prosper in 2021.

Well, welcome again to this episode. I'm recording in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis in April of 2020. As we have all had our lives affected by the enormous changes, we have been forced to adapt, to pivot, and to try to remain positive so we can all move forward successfully. Every segment of our society has been affected by this pandemic.

People are concerned for their physical health and economic well-being. In this episode, I'll be talking with someone who has had to adjust to many unexpected events in his life, yet he has chosen to be a victor, not a victim. We'll be able to see how this pandemic and the corresponding economic policies has affected his livelihood as an Olympic athlete, and we'll get his recommendations for personal success as we emerge from this crisis.

Today, I welcome my friend and special guest, Joe Delagrave.

Joe Delagrave: Linda, thank you for having me on. I'm excited to be able to have this conversation, and hopefully we can help one or two people out about just navigating this time.

Linda J. Hansen: That'd be great. Thank you so much. Joe is a husband, father, elite athlete, and keynote speaker. Whether he's on the court, speaking to audiences, raising his kids, or spending time with his wife, Joe aims to live life with faith, authenticity, and passionate purpose. I can attest to that because I've known Joe since he was a very young man. I think middle school is when we met, right?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, middle school, seventh grade, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen: Right. I was actually Joe's teacher on Wednesday nights, correct?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen: Yeah. At our church for probably more years than Joe would like to admit, but Wednesday night class where we studied the Bible, but we had a lot of fun together as well.

Joe Delagrave: We had a ton of fun, and it was fantastic. I always remember going through the book of Proverbs, and you'd be teaching us Proverbs, and then I'd be flirting with your daughter, and then I'd be getting in trouble there, and then I had my little sidekick with me as well. It was a lot of fun. It was great memories, and a lot of really good fun.

Linda J. Hansen: Right. When we were talking before recording too, Joe had shared some fun memories of just going to swim meets, and quiz meets, and baseball games, and stuff with all my kids, and I'm really thankful for the time that we were able to share while you were growing up and with your great family. You were raised in a fantastic family. I know your parents, your sisters and brothers, and we've talked before how a small town is like a large family, and I think we really appreciated being able to live in that small town in Wisconsin where we all got to know each other quite well.

As you were part of our family, there was something that actually happened to you that was very pivotal in your life. Can you tell us a little bit about your high school years and what your hopes for the future were at that time?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, let’s dive right into it. Growing up in a small town, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin—southwest Wisconsin—sports were kind of my identity. I loved playing sports. God has always given me a heart for playing them, and so whatever ball it was—baseball, football, basketball—I loved to do it. I loved being a part of a team, and so my biggest goal in high school was to be able to get an athletic scholarship to go play football or basketball at a school after graduation. And that ended up happening.

In high school, everything’s kind of going my way, and the goals that I set, they’re slowly getting checkmarked off. I ended up getting a scholarship to go play college football for the Winona State Warriors in Winona, Minnesota.

Linda J. Hansen: Small D2 school for you?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, small D2 school, and gosh, everything was just going the way I had planned it.

Linda J. Hansen: And you talked before about where you were seeking your identity at that point in life. I mean, you’d been raised in a Christian home. You’d had a real great environment to grow up in, but where were you at that point in your life—spiritually, personally?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, and I think anyone in that transitional period—from leaving their parents' house to going off to school—your faith really becomes your own. It’s either yours or it’s not. And so for me, when I went to school and went to college and everything’s going really well, and I get up and we start playing fall ball for football and getting through there, all my affirmation, all my focus was on being the best football player I could be, because I was like, I made it. This is my goal. I’m getting a college education, and I’m playing football. I don’t want anything else. And so all of that affirmation, the desire—that’s what I was focusing on.

And so that’s—for me—as my football career was taking off, my relationship with Jesus was going downhill, or at least being a lot more absent than it was maybe in high school, having the structure around me. But as an 18 or 19-year-old kid through that first year, everything’s kind of going great. I didn’t necessarily need my faith, or I didn’t... everything was... the goals I had set were being met. End of freshman year of school, I was slated to be the starting tight end coming back into school my sophomore year. So everything, for me, was really going well.

Linda J. Hansen: It was really going well, right. And I know, as I mentioned, a small town is like a large family. That large family was very proud of Joe Delagrave as you went on to college, and your athletic career looked so promising. We were all just really proud of you. But what happened in that summer after your first year of college?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah. So my summer of 2004 started out like a normal freshman and college kid. I came back to my hometown, got a part-time job at the local Pizza Hut, and had a part-time job at the City of Prairie du Chien Recreation Department, helping them out. So yeah, staying busy with that and doing my workouts. And so the summer’s going along just how it always did. My two best friends from high school came back as well to work. And so every weekend we were out on the river, pretty much every weekend—or maybe sometimes during the week at night as well—and we’d go on the river.

Growing up in a river town, you go out and you fish, and you kneeboard, and you waterski, and it’s just a very active little river town. And so that’s what we were doing on a Saturday, July 10, 2004. Kyle’s driving the boat, and Adam’s kneeboarding, and I’m just watching on the boat on a pole chair, basically. In a split second—I’m 6’5”, 260 pounds, and 19, and feeling invincible—I’m laying back and just watching Adam kneeboard, and Kyle’s driving and hits the bottom of the river accidentally in a back slough. You never know how deep or shallow the water is. And we always knew that, but just kind of one of those freak accidents. The pole breaks on the chair, and I fly backwards. I hit my head and break my neck. And so in a split second, life changes. Life changes.

I woke up from a blackout of about 30 to 40 seconds, and I see Kyle and Adam standing over me with a look of worry. There’s tears rolling down their cheeks, and I’m kind of like freaking out. Just from my head being split open—gosh, that was more painful than anything else. I had no idea that I broke my neck, but they were asking me the questions that you’re supposed to ask. We were all lifeguards growing up—did lifeguard training with your daughter as well—and so they knew not to move my neck.

We never had to save someone, the only person we ever had to save was the person we were training with. We never had to save someone or stabilize someone. Thank God that we didn’t. But this day, that came into play, and they’re like, “Don’t move.” 

Linda J. Hansen: They knew what to do.

Joe Delagrave: They knew what to do. And they asked me two questions that are very haunting in a way. They asked me, “Hey Joe, can you move your legs?” and I couldn’t move them. And they’re like, “Don’t move your neck,” and then, “Stay here—we’re going to call someone.” They asked me to feel my legs as well. And so I reached down and felt my leg, and it felt like I was touching someone else’s leg.

It didn’t feel like mine. I had no feeling in the lower part of my body. And so when I touched it, it felt like someone else’s leg, and it was the most out-of-body experience I ever had. And that was the start of a long road to recovery.

Linda J. Hansen: Right. And then what happened? I know the paramedics came, they had to get you off the river, and I know you told me about what happened in the hospital—when you really realized what had actually occurred to your life.

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, yeah. I mean, that first week’s all a blur, but you go from the boat, the rescue boat, to the ambulance, to the local hospital in a small town—you know everyone. Adam’s mom’s a nurse there and has been a nurse there for 40 years. You see everyone, and they start to tell you what’s happening. They do the test on you—they poke you to see where you can feel—and that didn’t go well.

They medevac’d me up to La Crosse because they needed to do surgery on my neck. I’m in the helicopter ride up to La Crosse, and my parents are following behind me, I guess. I get through surgery and get through that first couple days, but it’s during that first week when the doctor comes in. For me, I didn’t understand the gravity of the situation at all, because at 19 you just can’t wrap your head around something like that. I don’t think at any age you really can wrap your head around what’s going on, especially with such an acute injury.

And that first week, the doctor comes in, and he’s like, “Hey, this is the prognosis. Your spinal cord injury is at C6 and 7. We think it’s incomplete, but you’re not going to walk again.” And when you hear that—for me—I was thinking, well, you know, it’s just like any other injury. I’ll rehab, work hard, and I’ll be back on the football field. And when they say you’re never going to walk again... 

Linda J. Hansen: And they told me— sorry to interrupt—but I remember you told me that you were asking them, “Will I be able to go to practice? Will I be able to start?” You really just—it hadn’t sunk in at all.

Joe Delagrave: No. No, not at all.

I mean, right away, when you’re thinking about that, you’re just trying to think about the gravity of it. People are telling you this, but I’m like, there’s no way. There’s no way, because this is my favorite thing to do. And as a man of faith, I’m like, how can God pull that away from me?

The crazy part about it is, a week before my accident, the Lord gave me a verse on a random cut-off t-shirt that a kicker had given me—which I always joke, if the kicker is giving you a shirt to make fun of you, that’s not good, because the kicker isn’t even really a football player. Kickers are more like soccer players. But it was a verse—Proverbs 3:5–6—that was on the shirt. It was a House of Speed shirt that Don Beebe used to have for speed camps. He was an old Packers receiver who won a Super Bowl for the Packers and also played in the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl teams.

But it was Proverbs 3:5–6, which you probably taught me back in middle school—and I didn’t listen to you—but I didn’t even remember the verse. And you know, it’s one of the most famous verses out there: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

Linda, I think looking back, I go—wow, I got that verse a week before. And then that’s the first verse that comes to mind when I’m in the hospital and kind of coming to. And right away—just being real, because I always like to be real with what I’m thinking—my first thought was: “That verse sucks. I don’t want to care about it. I don’t want to trust the Lord. I want to understand this.” I was a 19-year-old kid who just got his identity ripped away.

Linda J. Hansen: As a 19-year-old kid, you could look out over a room—you had athletic ability, you were looking at a bright future, a beautiful girlfriend—so much ahead of you. And then suddenly, like you said, your identity was ripped away. Some of our listeners may feel like that. Maybe there are wounded warriors listening, or someone who has been totally affected by this pandemic—where life has really, really changed for them.

Then what happened for you? I mean, you were probably in shock and grief and denial and pain, I’m sure—all these things going through– and your family, too.

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, everyone’s trying to cope with what happened, and everyone processes it differently. Obviously for me, I’m going through it. But then Kyle and Adam, and then my parents— now, being a parent, I can’t imagine one of my kids having that happen. It’s just such a different feeling.

Linda J. Hansen: Right. I wasn’t your parent, but I can tell you that our whole family—I don’t think we could breathe until we knew you were okay. Yeah. And that’s kind of how the whole town felt. To hear about such a tragic accident for someone we all loved—it was just so heartbreaking.

Right now, people are going through so much heartbreak and upset. And I’m sure they can relate to some of these feelings, even if they may never experience what you did. But they still need to learn how to be a victor, not a victim, even in this time.

Joe Delagrave: Well, yeah—and you bring up a good point. A lot of people say, “I’m not in a wheelchair,” or “I don’t have this disability,” or “I don’t have a crazy story like that.” But I think if we’re honest with ourselves, we all have that moment when we look in the mirror—something that challenges us to decide whether we’re going to have a victor mindset or a victim mindset.

There’s always something in life you can point to. And for many of us, there are a lot of things. Life has a lot of those seasons, if we’re going to be honest. There are a lot of them.

And my first one just happens to be a really big event in my life. But I think if we’re honest with ourselves, there’s always that “wheelchair.” There’s always that circumstance in our life that can be controlling of us—something that demands a lot from us.

Or maybe it’s something we just can’t get over, can’t get through, can’t go around. We’re overcome by it. And that’s where I think people can make it personal and inspiring—if they look in the mirror and ask: What’s holding me back? What am I allowing to lead me down a road of having a victim mindset instead of a victor mindset? So I think it’s very applicable to everyone’s situation, because we all have circumstances.

Linda J. Hansen: Yeah, we do. We do. And you had mentioned Proverbs 3:5–6—the verse that was so pivotal for you—that came to mind after your injury. You were kind of arguing with it at the time. And I know your sister brought you something. Can you tell us about that?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah. So I started reading that verse—Proverbs 3:5–6. And my sister writes it on a poster and brings it up and slaps it on the wall. And in the room, there were all kinds of things. I was so blessed to have such a great support system and such great community support—an outpouring. They were building additions onto our house so I could live with my parents when I came back home.

In the hospital room, there were cards everywhere, and that poster was the centerpiece of everything. And right away, like I said, I hated that. I hated that verse. I just... no. I didn’t want to just trust God. I didn’t want to lean on Him. I wanted to lean on my own understanding. That’s what I wanted to do, because I wanted to know. I wanted to understand.

Linda J. Hansen: And you wanted to play football again.

Joe Delagrave: Yeah. And it’s like a scary movie—if you know the ending, the rest of it isn’t that scary because you know how it ends. Or maybe it’s scarier because you do know how it ends. Depends. But for me, I wanted to know—why? What is going to happen?

So you have all these questions swirling around in your head. Am I going to have... is April going to leave? Are we going to be able to have kids? Am I going to be able to go back to college? Can I have a job or career that I find passion and, more importantly, purpose in?

And at the moment, some of the questions were really basic. Can I push a wheelchair? Am I strong enough to put socks on? Throw on some sweatpants? Can I actually do life this way? Can I hold a fork?

There were simple questions and then there were the really tough questions. And then my mom’s asking the doctor if I can have sex again, and I’m like, “Mom, would you get out of my room?” I don’t even want to think about that! And then I’m like, “Doctor, I need you to come back in,” because that’s a real thought process when you’re going through something so traumatic. Your thoughts are all over the place.

Linda J. Hansen: I think a lot of people are feeling like that now.

Yeah. I’m sure there are a lot of people across the country. They’ve lost loved ones. They’re healthcare workers dealing with stress. There are people who’ve lost their livelihoods. There’s just so much. Like you said, everyone has a “wheelchair moment.”

And so I know in this podcast we talk a lot about economic policies and things. But in life, economic wellbeing is just a part of our wellbeing. It’s just one part. And how we approach life as a whole really affects our prosperity, too. 

So being able to have a healthy mindset—that’s part of Prosperity 101, in a sense. Knowing how to approach life successfully helps us make a better life for ourselves. What was a pivotal point for you?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah. I think for me, going through this accident—it wasn’t just one day. It was a series of choices every day. And eventually it was also about rededicating my life to the Lord. Having that faith element and realizing—man, okay—this is real. I’m already starting to plateau. I’m trying to have honest conversations with myself, but there’s a lot of denial. Like, “My legs will just turn back on someday and I’ll be fine.” But then… it doesn’t happen.

And I just remember that point where I was like, “If there’s something good in this, if there’s something that brings glory, if there’s some reason why I need to be in this chair, then I can’t do it with just my own Joe strength.” I can’t—because that’s gone. I mean, I can’t even lift a fork, let alone lift weights anymore, be strong.

So it’s that moment. And it’s not like a Disney movie moment where everything changes in a few seconds. It’s a process. When you make that decision to go and say, “I will trust in You, because I can’t understand this.”

Lind J. Hansen: Right. And as you were adjusting to all of this, you had no way of knowing where your life was going to go. And now, people listening probably have no way of knowing exactly what life is going to look like in the quote “new normal” that will come after we emerge from this global pandemic. But you had to enter into a new normal.

What did that look like for you? You went to college. You eventually got married. You had kids. I mean—and now—you’re an elite Paralympic athlete. You’ve represented the United States of America as an athlete, which is incredible. We salute you. We thank you so much for your bravery, your resilience, your persistence, and the way you’ve represented this country.

But we were just talking about you being in a hospital bed, struggling with denial over your paralysis, and that pivotal time where you began to change and start moving your life forward. Tell us about that journey, please.

Joe Delagrave: Yeah. So it starts with just a simple choice. I remember being in my room back home and thinking, “I need to dress myself.” And so the choice was: I’m going to figure out how to dress myself. Or I’m going to figure out how to shower. I’m going to figure out how to drive. It starts with those choices—and they start to snowball a bit. It’s the mindset of, “I want to live life. I want to do the best I can using this chair.”

Now, there were definitely bad choices I made throughout the years—like my eating habits were horrendous when I came back home. I did a lot of emotional eating. I ate like a football player still, and ballooned up to 285 pounds.

That’s actually how I first got into adaptive sports. At first I thought they’d be terrible. I thought, “There’s no way I can quench my competitive spirit with adaptive sports.” But I looked them up online and eventually decided to give it a try. I ended up going to a practice in Minnesota at a place called Courage Center.

About 30 minutes into practice, I knew right away I wasn’t going to get into a rugby chair. But they were like, “Nah, just try to get in one.” And it took me about 45 minutes to get in. April had to transfer me, help me get strapped in. We use like ten different straps in rugby chairs so we don’t go flying all over the place. It looks really bad when you fall over. Nobody wants to be a human yard sale.

So we’re about 30 minutes into practice, and I’m pushing up and down the court. My lungs are filling up. I’m feeling like an athlete again. And it hits me—maybe 30 minutes, maybe an hour into practice—and I think, “This feels so good.”

It feels so nice to be able to compete against people who are going through the same things as I am. It feels so great to talk to someone else who’s gone through something like I have. You get that sense of community again—that locker room feeling that a team usually provides.

And that’s where I started my Paralympic journey. Eventually I got better, tried out, made the national team, and made the 2012 Paralympics. But it all starts with a choice. Just one choice. And then another choice. And then another.

People get so mind blown or  frustrated or discouraged when they set a goal and, three days later, feel like they’ll never get there. But it’s not going to happen instantly. We live in a world where we want things now. It’s worse than ever—instant, instant, instant. It’s nice for some things, but it’s horrible for goal setting.

I was listening to something from Jon Acuff recently, and he said that most people quit on day two. Day two is when the quit rate spikes. I thought, “Wow, really?” But then I thought about it—and it’s true. That’s where people get discouraged when they want to lose weight, or run a marathon. They go out for the first run, get tired, and think, “This isn’t going to happen.” But it’s not going to happen overnight.

Linda J. Hansen: We’ve all come back from different things in life where we’ve had to overcome. And you—you had to overcome so much. The fact that you were on the 2012 team and then again in the 2016 Olympics—tell us about what happened there.

Joe Delagrave: Yeah. And I have a quick little tidbit. It might be off track, but I think you’re onto something really important. I’ve been writing and speaking about it a bit during this time—we have to give ourselves grace. It reminded me that when you’re going through goal setting, or a crisis like this, or something that feels like the biggest obstacle in your life.

You know, goal-setting or going through a crisis—or something that seems like the biggest obstacle of your life—when you’re going through it, you're making a choice every day to do something good. But it’s not always going to go well. We have our bad days.

And during those bad days, it's important to just stop. Realize you have emotions. Realize you have those feelings. Realize it’s a bad day—and give yourself grace—so that the next day, you can get up and kick butt again.

I think that's where people fall down—they beat themselves up. You know, I had to go from 285 pounds down to about 195–200 pounds. And that doesn’t happen overnight. I failed miserably, a lot. But I think that aspect of grace—and mimicking what Jesus gives us every single day.

Linda J. Hansen: Being able to extend that grace to ourselves when we don’t achieve things… that's critical. One of the things I’ve learned as I’ve gone through life is that feelings are not always facts. But we have to acknowledge the feelings. Sometimes, we’re just exhausted. I’m sure as you were trying to rehabilitate, as you were training, later on—as you adjusted to your new physical capabilities and lack of abilities—you got tired.

Adjusting to new things is exhausting. And there’s a rollercoaster of emotions. I think that’s really true. We've talked in this episode about how people listening might be going through that emotional rollercoaster. They might be thinking, “I shouldn't feel sorry for myself because I'm not in a wheelchair.”

But like you said earlier, they might still be going through something very, very difficult. We all have our “wheelchair experiences”—those moments that force us to pull more out of ourselves, to fall to our knees in faith. And like you—you turned to your faith for guidance.

Joe Delagrave: Absolutely. So like you’re getting to, 2016 rolls around. Throughout my career, I became a captain in 2013. Leadership has always been very important to me. I’ve learned a lot from my time with the team—being a captain for seven years.

Linda J. Hansen: And in 2012 you were a gold medalist correct?

Joe Delagrave: Well, in 2012, we were bronze medalists. I used to call it the “brown poopy medal” because it was the wrong color.

Linda J. Hansen: I think most of us would love to earn a bronze!

Joe Delagrave: Exactly! And now, eight years later, it means the world to me. It means a lot more now than it did then. But yeah, we won bronze. We were the number one ranked team from 2005 to 2012. So when we went into the London Paralympics, we were ranked extremely high—we were the overwhelming favorites to win.

But when that didn’t happen, it set off this tunnel vision in me I need to win gold. I thought that would validate who I am as an athlete, as a Paralympian. I wanted to validate all those guys who retired after London.

You know, it got to the point where I thought, Man, I can be a better husband if I have a gold medal. I can be a better father if I have a gold medal. It got that deep in me. Then 2016 rolls around, and some circumstances happen—things that were kind of out of my control. And you know what? It didn’t happen for me. I didn’t go to Rio.

It was devastating. Completely devastating. I had been on the training team the entire year. And then, when you hear that you’re not going… I mean, it was almost worse to go through that than for me to break my neck. That’s how much emotional pain I was in. I felt like the biggest failure.

I completely checked out of social media for a long time because I just didn’t want to face it—even if it was a false reality. I didn’t want to face it. I didn’t know how to handle it. Then the guys went—and they ended up getting silver. And that was devastating too. During that game, I remember thinking, Do I want them to win gold? And the answer was yes.

I had trained for seven years with those guys. They’re my brothers. Of course I wanted them to win. But emotionally, it was hard to go through. You go through it, and you come out on the other side. I asked myself, Do I want to come back? I talked with April—Do I want to come back?

And I realized I did. I realized I could be a better leader than I was then. I didn’t need to be focused on gold. I needed to be focused on the foundation—the kind of foundation that builds a really good program. The kind of foundation that builds a strong family.

Because it’s all about relationship. No matter what we do, it all comes down to relationship. That’s the crazy part—even now, during this time. We’re all still yearning for connection. We’re on Zoom, FaceTime, Skype—we’re finding ways to stay in relationship with one another, because that’s how God made us.

So I went back in 2017. And that was my whole goal for that entire quad—that’s what we call the four-year period between Olympic and Paralympic Games. That’s what we’ve done with USA Rugby. I’m thankful to have been a small part of it. We’ve built an amazing team. The foundation is amazing. There’s so much love in it. There’s so much servant leadership in it.

To be a small part of that has been an amazing gift I’ve been given. Because my perspective has shifted—from focusing on outcomes to focusing on the journey. How we treat people along the way. How we spread love and grace—the kind I’ve received from God—and how we share that with others on the team, and do it in a really intentional way.

Linda J. Hansen: Yeah, that’s really beautiful. And that—that is servant leadership. Servant leadership is really what makes the best leadership. I say this all the time in these episodes. I quote Dawson Trotman, and he said, “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

So love, and servanthood, and real concern for people—that’s when people are more likely to follow your leadership. It’s truly that humble leadership. And I know that’s something I’m sure encouraged your team to choose you as their captain.

Now for 2020, as we think about economic policy—the economic policies of this pandemic have shut down so many businesses, so many events. I think the Olympics was the biggest worldwide event that was changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. And for you, that totally affects your livelihood. For you and all the other Paralympic athletes, as well as the regular Olympic athletes—I don’t know the exact terminology—is it “regular” or “able-bodied” athletes?

Joe Delagrave: Just “Olympics” and “Paralympics,” yeah.

Linda J. Hansen: Thank you. I don’t mean to misspeak at all. But all of the athletes—we look at you and see your hard work. And I know the Paralympics getting broader exposure is fantastic. It helps people see the incredible athletic ability of these Paralympic athletes. And I know their finances and livelihoods are so affected by all of this.

It’s not just what you earn as an athlete—it’s also the companies that support you. For example, Vesco Wheelchairs, who sponsors you and provides your chairs, and so many others—how are they being affected? How is the delay from 2020 to 2021 impacting you and your teammates?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, I mean, it’s such a huge topic. And for each sport, and each athlete, the impact is different depending on how they structure their sponsorships or financial support for training. For your listeners, here’s a quick rundown: The USOPC, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee provides support to NGBs—that’s National Governing Bodies. For example, USA Gymnastics is the NGB for gymnastics. USA Basketball is the NGB for basketball.

For our sport, we work with a High-Performance Managing Organization (HPMO), which is Lakeshore Foundation. They’re given a certain amount of money per quad to finance the team. Within that funding is direct athlete support that we get as individuals.

Now, for most of us, what we get as a support check is below the poverty line. What we get each check as per quarter. We’re paid quarterly, and while we do get health insurance—which has been a huge blessing for our family—the reality is that a lot of us are working part-time or even full-time jobs in addition to training as elite athletes.

And some people say, “Well, if you don’t like it, then don’t be an athlete.” I get that—it’s a choice. But what people need to understand is that with the Games being postponed from 2020 to 2021, it caused a ripple effect—especially for the higher-level and even mid-level sponsored athletes. Many of these athletes were receiving resources from companies that are now financially struggling.

You have to remember, a lot of those companies lost their entire second quarter. Their third quarter might be about trying to recover, and then by the fourth quarter, they’re making tough decisions—like whether or not to continue sponsorships. And for many of them, the easy answer for the bottom line is: No. That’s just how business works, and it’s totally fine.

But for athletes, that postponement of the Games meant a huge financial loss. Many athletes make a large portion of their income either through winning medals or through post-Olympic or post-Paralympic media opportunities.

There’s a window—right after the Games—where you’re “the brand-new Paralympic gold medalist” or silver or bronze. That’s when brands want to book you for speaking engagements, commercials, events, or interviews. It’s that spotlight moment. But now, instead of having to train for just five more months, we’re told: “You have to train for another 12 months.” So the question becomes: How do you do that? How do you support your family? How do you make ends meet?

Linda J. Hansen: Stretching that training timeline isn’t just a physical challenge—it’s a financial and emotional one, too and there’s a window for training—like you’ve told me before. The timing and intensity matter so much. But also, just so the listeners know—you went on to get your undergrad degree, and then your master’s degree. You’ve worked as a professional counselor.

What other jobs have you had to help make ends meet during this journey?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, I’ve done a bunch of odd jobs. When I first started out, I worked at a hotel. I worked at Dick’s Sporting Goods, through their athlete career program. Basically, those programs give you part-time jobs with the understanding that you’ll be gone a lot—or that you might have an unpredictable schedule.

I’d say things like, “I can’t work today because I’ll be in England,” or wherever the tournament was. But even while I was competing, I was always pursuing my next career—what I’d do after my athletic career. So I got my master’s degree, worked in private practice for a while, and then over the last two years, I really found my purpose and passion off the court: speaking.

I love being on stage. I love being able to share, to be vulnerable—not to preach at people or point fingers, but to help people inspire themselves. And it’s not a cheap inspiration where they look at me and say, “Oh, poor Joe. My life’s actually pretty good.”

No—it’s more like, “Hey, let’s look in the mirror. Let’s look at our own lives and hold each other accountable.” If someone walks away from one of my talks and says, “I feel inspired to take personal responsibility for my choices,”—boom! That’s amazing. That’s the win. That’s what made me fall in love with speaking. And I look at it with that same athlete mindset: I can get better at this. I want to get better at this. You’ve got to put in the work to improve.

I look up to some of the people in the industry who are just dynamic, and I try to learn from them. It’s fun to chase that growth, to learn, to improve.

Linda J. Hansen: And you’ve obviously shown again how you can pivot and make the best out of difficult situations. But I know for athletes—training is a full-time job. So it’s really hard to have another job, whether that’s keynote speaking, being a counselor, or working part-time jobs like at Dick’s Sporting Goods through their athlete employment program.

Joe Delagrave: It’s really hard to do both.

Linda J. Hansen: And now, with the Olympics and Paralympics being postponed again—it adds even more pressure. I was listening to something recently about the gymnasts—how time-sensitive their careers can be. And for you, even though wheelchair rugby has a different trajectory—you’re still young, you’re still strong—

Joe Delagrave: Thank you.

Linda J. Hansen: Yeah, you’re still very young—you’re the same age as some of my kids, so I’ll call that young! But you’re strong, you’re fit, and still—anything can happen in a year and a half. You were ready to go to the Olympics, and now for so many people, it’s not just the Olympics they were preparing for in life.

There are businesses that were ready to launch. People were moving or starting something new. Whatever it was, it was right up ahead—and now, it’s no longer that way. We all have to learn to pivot. And we were talking before this conversation—about why you believe what we’re doing through Prosperity 101 is so important. How we try to help people educationally—to understand how to create a path for their own future.

You and I have talked about helping people become healthy spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically—so they can advance their own prosperity, their own future. And we've also talked about how the freedom you’ve had in America to make those choices has been really essential.

Can you touch on that a little bit? The ability you’ve had to make choices—to choose your occupation, your sport, where you want to live? All of that is really incredible. Not all Olympic or Paralympic athletes have that, right?

Joe Delagrave: Yeah, I mean—I can’t speak for every Olympic or Paralympic athlete out there worldwide. But in America, it’s something I’m incredibly grateful for. First of all, being nominated to the national team and then having the honor of wearing “USA” across my chest for as long as I have— truly, it’s one of the greatest honors of my life.

And thinking back—kind of wrapping up my story of laying in a hospital bed—I remember being that 19-year-old kid lying in a hospital bed, asking all these questions. If you had told me then that I’d go on to travel the world playing a sport at the highest level, become a captain, and have a ton of success… I would have said, You’re crazy. That’s not even possible.

Professionally, it's been an incredible journey. And you're absolutely right—we have choice in America. We have great policies in place when it comes to accessibility—being able to go to college, pursue dreams, and access the resources needed when you have a disability. Because the reality is—disabilities come with significant expenses.

Linda J. Hansen: If I have a $150 pair of running shoes to make sure I can run well for my next marathon, you told me you have to pay a $5,000 equipment fee. 

Joe Delagrave: Yeah to get a hand cycle to cross-train. You’re not buying a $400 hand cycle at Dick’s Sporting Goods. You’re going online and a “cheap” one is $4,000. Or a nice one is $10,000. The professional-level hand cycles used in races? They cost $22,000.

Part of that is supply and demand. But the bigger picture is—50, 60, 70 years ago, this level of opportunity didn’t exist. People in my position back then stood up for what they believed in. They pushed for change. They helped move policy forward.

And honestly, that’s one of the things I feel most deeply as a leader in the disabled community: there’s a responsibility. I can’t just rest on their laurels. I have to continue it not to rest on our laurels, but to keep pushing forward—to keep pursuing accessibility throughout the U.S.

There’s a great quote I heard recently: “Accessibility for disabled people is accessibility for all.” It’s the mom pushing her stroller up the ramp or curb cut—she needs it just as much. Or the elderly person who relies on it to move safely and freely. Accessibility isn’t a bad thing or just a niche concern—it’s for everyone. And I think that’s really important for people to understand.

Linda J. Hansen: Right. I appreciate that so much because accessibility for all really equals freedom for all. If we ensure accessibility for you, we’re ensuring it for everyone. If we have freedom for you, then we must ensure we’re have it for everyone.

Joe, I just want to thank you so much for spending time with me and with our listeners today. This has been a bit different than a lot of our episodes, but I hope it’s been inspiring. I truly believe we can all learn from each other, especially from those who’ve faced challenges in their life and found a way to turn that obstacle into opportunity. Like you said—choosing to become a victor, not a victim.

We’re so thankful for your example—for April, for your family. You’ve shown us what it means to lead with integrity, to lead with bravery, exhibiting resilience, and persistence. Those are qualities we all need—especially in times of crisis.

Before we close, is there anything you’d like to share with our listeners—some final thoughts?

Joe Delegrave: Yeah—number one, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about my wife and give her a shoutout. We’re truly a team, and she’s the MVP of that team. To be able to go through life with her—through struggles, successes, and moments of uncertainty—it’s been an honor and an amazing part of my story.

Also, to anyone listening: no matter what you’re going through—financial, spiritual, physical, or emotional—please, number one, allow yourself grace. Stop. Acknowledge the emotions you’re feeling. And then—make a choice. Because you can. You have the power to choose. You can choose to be a victor, or a victim.

Don’t place the blame on the economy. Don’t place it on a job that furloughed you, or a bad relationship. You control how you respond. Choose to press forward. And then do it again the next day. And the next.

Surround yourself with great people. Find your “April.” Find your team—those people who will support you through thick and thin. If you do that, you’re going to be just fine.

Linda J. Hansen: Would you like to share the verse that was so pivotal to you?

Joe Delegrave: Yeah—Proverbs 3:5–6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

Linda J. Hansen: Very good. And I know for you and April, your faith—and your commitment to living it out authentically—has helped you be a servant leader and a real blessing to everyone who knows you. With that, I just want to say thank you. And if people want to contact you, how should they contact you Joe?

Joe Delagrave: The easiest way is through my website: www.joedelegrave.com — that’s J-O-E D-E-L-A-G-R-A-V-E. All my socials are linked there too. I’m active on Instagram, Twitter, all of that.

Linda J. Hansen: And I know you speak to schools, businesses, all kinds of audiences. You’d be an amazing keynote speaker. Do you also offer virtual presentations?

Joe Delagrave: I do! I’ve got my first couple virtual bookings lined up. We’ll see how they go. But I think this is such a relevant message right now, and I’d be honored to share it virtually too.

Linda J. Hansen: That’s great. So again—please reach out to Joe. Whether you’re hiring him as a virtual speaker during this season, or after the pandemic when he’s able to visit in person—I know you’ll be blessed by his message and presence.

Thank you again for listening to the Prosperity 101 podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a great review. Don’t forget to visit Prosperity101.com to access the entire podcast library, to order my newest book Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, or to enroll you or your employees in the Break Room Economics online course.

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