Around the Schools
Triple amputee Cameron Clapp has simple message for students: Set goals, never give up, make good decisions
Cameron Clapp, then 15, never saw it coming.
Witnesses say they never even heard a whistle.
As Clapp lay passed out drunk on railroad tracks, a Union-Pacific train ran over him.
Emergency personnel responding to the accident were traumatized by what they saw. The train had ripped apart both of Clapp’s legs above the knee and his right arm below his shoulder. One rescuer was so distraught, he sought counseling.
Clapp awoke after a two-day coma to discover three bandaged stubs where his limbs had been.
Overcame obstacles to excel in athletics
“My world was completely shattered. I thought my life was ruined,” he told an assembly of Center School students. “My doctor said, ‘Cameron, you’re never gonna walk again.'”
But he did.
He set aside his wheelchair and astonished his rehabilitation therapists by walking on his own five months later.
Clapp, now 25, also runs, swims, skis, surfs – and is training to cycle so he can complete all three stages of a triathlon (swimming, cycling, running). A self-confessed thrill-seeker and all-around athlete before the accident, he has continued to pursue his passion for athletics. He has won several gold and silver medals competing in the Endeavor Games, a multisport event for athletes with disabilities.
Clapp, who was born on Whidbey Island, spoke to Center School students on Sept. 28 with his simple message: Life is about overcoming obstacles, setting goals, never giving up, making the right decisions, and not using drugs and alcohol.
“It’s not what happens to you that matters most. It’s what you do with it,” he said.
As Clapp spoke, students watched photos and videos … some of Clapp falling down as he struggled to balance and walk with his specially designed prostheses.
“In life, you fall down … but you get up again,” he said. “I was committed and determined to work hard.”
Actor, speaker, activist
And work hard he did. Since the accident, excelling in sports has not only been Clapp’s accomplishments. Clapp is a actor, motivational speaker and an activist for amputees.
His story was featured on the Discovery Channel's "Medical Incredible," NBC's Today Show, and CNN. He also has appeared on the HBO series "Carnivale" and NBC's My Name is Earl.
Clapp has devoted hundreds of hours counseling young amputees and returning veterans of the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan who have sustained the loss of limbs.
He also goes around the country sharing his story to high school and college students in hopes that his experience will save them from making tragic mistakes. His message is simple: life is about overcoming obstacles, setting goals, never giving up, making the right decisions, and not using drugs and alcohol.
Family tragedy
Unfortunately, on January 2008, his best friend and identical twin brother, Jesse, died of a drug overdose.
“He made a bad choice. He decided to do drugs and alcohol. The combination killed him. I made a bad choice, I got drunk and got hit by a train. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn from my mistakes,” he said.
“My brother didn’t have that opportunity. Don’t make bad choices,” he said. “Don’t give up on your passion.”
Oksana Britsova, Principal at The Center School, said that after the presentation, Clapp became a hero for many of the students and staff because of his perseverance, self-confidence, drive and determination to succeed.
"Every single one of us has a visible or invisible adversity ... our mountain to success. Cameron showed us that it's not only possible to climb that mountain, but also do it while helping others along the way," she said.
Photo above: Motivational speaker Cameron Clapp, a triple amputee, speaks to The Center School students Sept. 28 about his personal tragedy and how he overcame obstacles.
Story and photo by
Robert Teodosio/Seattle Public Schools