The fact that Richie Parker can ride a bike doesn't sound impressive -- until you see him do it. Same goes for the car repairs he makes using power tools.
Parker was born without arms, a disability he's overcome time and time again, ultimately leading him to his job engineering chassis and body components forHendrick Motorsports, NASCAR's most winning organization.
"Based on his resume, I knew he could do the things that I needed him to do, it was more a question of how,” Rex Stump, engineering manager at Hendrick, said of Parker in a segment that aired on ESPN Sunday.
Just like every other hurdle in his life, Parker found a way, placing the keyboard and mouse on the floor, then operating both with his feet to build custom high-performance automotive parts. The entirety of the ESPN segment traces the evolution of Parker's can-do attitude for accomplishing a wide-range of tasks, including opening a refrigerator door to creating a system to help him drive a car.
More than that, his story has also inspired countless others, not the least of which is Magic Johnson. After watching the ESPN segment, the retired NBA star tweeted, "Richie Parker's story proves that you can do anything you set your mind to. We should all stop complaining and giving excuses."
Or, as Parker says, "I don't know there's a lot in life ... that I'd say I can't do. Just things I haven't done yet."
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