Menu
Former athlete to bring his story to FSHS students
Kevin Olson is bringing his inspirational story to Fort Scott High School.
Olson, a motivational speaker, author and website designer who lives in Oswego, will be the guest speaker for an assembly Wednesday, April 13 at the high school. Olson, who has been paralyzed from the shoulders down since a diving accident in 1991 and is bound to a wheelchair, now spends time spreading a motivational message to youth. He has also written a book and uses technological advances to design websites from home and participate in other activities.
Local resident Anne Emerson organized an effort to bring Olson to Fort Scott.
"I read about it (Olson's story) in the Kansas City newspaper years ago. I was very impressed with this young man," Emerson said. "We brought him to Fort Scott and he spoke at Community Christian Church about 20 years ago. Kevin started giving talks around the area and he was very well received."
Olson, a former All-State basketball player, became paralyzed in 1991 at the age of 19 following a diving accident at Toronto Lake in Southeast Kansas. Emerson said Olson was a star basketball player at Chanute High School and Olson's father was a basketball coach.
Emerson said she contacted Olson about returning to Fort Scott and he "agreed to visit."
During the assembly, Olson will share how he met and overcame a life crisis when, as a student at Kansas State University, he suffered a broken neck from a dive into Toronto Lake that changed his life forever.
"From star athlete to life in a wheelchair, Kevin inspires, encourages and shows how any of life's obstacles can be overcome," information sent to the Tribune said.
"He's always been a very impressive young man to me," Emerson said. "He can help motivate people and people can look at him and say, 'If he can be a success, look what I can do.' I thought it was important high school students got an opportunity to hear and meet him."