Life hasn’t always been easy for Coconut Creek resident Chris Ruden.
Yet, the 27-year-old – a type 1 diabetic who was born with a congenital defect that left one arm shorter and with only two fingers – deadlifts more than 600 pounds and is a sought-after motivational speaker.
Not much gets him down. That is, until his $150,000 prosthetic arm was stolen from his truck last year. Luckily, police found it less than 24 hours later.
The story went viral, catching the attention of producers of NBC’s “The Titan Games,” who invited him to appear on the competition show. Ruden quickly accepted, and, although he didn’t win during the January episode, he left with a sense of accomplishment.
“I was there to spread my message,” he told The Palm Beach Post. “Everything I do is geared toward helping other people and to be the person I never had in my life and help people struggling with disabilities or diabetes.”
His message was definitely heard.
“I received hundreds and hundreds of emails from kids and parents,” he said. “They said, ‘Thank you for doing that. You let my son, you let my daughter, feel comfortable in their own skin. She was ready to give up, and she didn’t because of that episode.’”
Visit chrisruden.com.