Young Blood - Men’s Mental Health

Young Blood - Men’s Mental Health


Pushing Past Your Limits with Para-rowing Champions Jed Altschwager and Will Smith

February 21, 2020

Para-rowers Jed Altschwager and Will Smith are on the cusp of being selected for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. It's the lofty peak of a gruelling journey that neither imagined they'd have a very real chance to reach.

Jed's world was turned upside down when he lost his leg in a workplace accident in 2015 and made the decision to take on life like never before. Will has been visually impaired since birth and has had his unshakeable resilience become second nature. While they're at a physical disadvantage, you wouldn't know it on the water. Together they've won international gold and silver medals, quickly becoming a formidable force on the world stage. They're also really down to earth blokes who are able to match humility and self-awareness with a steely focus and determination to be the best.

These guys are absolute weapons in the boat, but they don't allow their desperation to win to consume them. Accountability, gratitude and consistency are the core values that make these inspiring men who fundamentally know it's about the journey, not just the destination.