TEDxKC
Janine Shepherd: A broken body isn't a broken person
Janine Shepherd: En knust krop er ikke en knust person
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Langrendsløberen Janine Shepherd håbede på en olympisk medalje -- indtil hun blev ramt af en lastbil under en trænings cykeltur. Hun deler en stærk historie om det menneskelige potentiale for bedring. Hendes besked: du er ikke din krop, og at opgive sin gamle drøm kan få nye til at stige til vejrs.
Janine Shepherd - Pilot
Aspiring Olympic skier Janine Shepherd was nearly killed when she was hit by a truck during a training bike ride. Paralysed and immobile for six months, she was given a grim picture for recovery. But not only did she teach herself to walk again— she learned to fly. Full bio
Aspiring Olympic skier Janine Shepherd was nearly killed when she was hit by a truck during a training bike ride. Paralysed and immobile for six months, she was given a grim picture for recovery. But not only did she teach herself to walk again— she learned to fly. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
Life is about opportunities,
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Livet handler om muligheder,
00:19
creating them and embracing them, and for me,
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at skabe dem og omfavne dem, og for mig,
00:22
that was the Olympic dream.
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var det den Olympiske drøm.
00:24
That's what defined me. That was my bliss.
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Det er det der definere mig. Det var min lykke!
00:27
As a cross-country skier and member of the Australian ski team,
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Som langrendsløber og medlem af det australske ski team,
00:31
headed towards the Winter Olympics,
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på vej til vinterolympiaden,
00:33
I was on a training bike ride with my fellow teammates.
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var jeg på en træningscykeltur med mine holdkammerater.
00:37
As we made our way up towards
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I takt med at vi var på vej op imod
00:39
the spectacular Blue Mountains west of Sydney,
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de spektakulære Blue Mountains vest for Sydney,
00:42
it was the perfect autumn day:
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det var en perfekt forårsdag:
00:45
sunshine, the smell of eucalypt and a dream.
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solskin, duften af eukalyptus og en drøm.
00:49
Life was good.
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Livet var godt.
00:50
We'd been on our bikes for around five and half hours
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Vi havde været på vores cykler i cirka fem og en halv time
00:53
when we got to the part of the ride that I loved,
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da vi kom til den del af turen jeg elskede,
00:55
and that was the hills, because I loved the hills.
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og det var bakkerne, fordi jeg elskede bakkerne.
00:58
And I got up off the seat of my bike, and I started
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Og jeg rejste mig i sadlen, og jeg begyndte
01:01
pumping my legs, and as I sucked in the cold mountain air,
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at pumpe med benene, og i takt med at jeg sugede den kolde bjergluft ind,
01:04
I could feel it burning my lungs, and I looked up
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kunne jeg mærke det brænde i mine lunger, og jeg kiggede op
01:07
to see the sun shining in my face.
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og kunne se solen skinne på mit ansigt.
01:10
And then everything went black.
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Og så blev alt sort.
01:14
Where was I? What was happening?
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Hvor var jeg? Hvad skete der?
01:17
My body was consumed by pain.
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Min krop var opslugt af smerte.
01:20
I'd been hit by a speeding utility truck
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Jeg var blevet ramt af et køretøj der kørte for hurtigt
01:23
with only 10 minutes to go on the bike ride.
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med kun 10 minutter tilbage af cykelturen.
01:26
I was airlifted from the scene of the accident
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Og jeg blev hentet på ulykkestedet
01:28
by a rescue helicopter to a large spinal unit in Sydney.
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af en redningshelikopter til en stor rygmarvsafdeling i Sydney
01:32
I had extensive and life-threatening injuries.
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Jeg havde omfattende og livstruende skader.
01:35
I'd broken my neck and my back in six places.
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Jeg havde brækket nakken og min ryg seks steder.
01:39
I broke five ribs on my left side.
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Jeg brækkede fem ribben i venstre side.
01:42
I broke my right arm. I broke my collarbone.
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Jeg brækkede min højre arm. Jeg brækkede kravebenet.
01:44
I broke some bones in my feet.
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Jeg brækkede nogle knogler i fødderne.
01:47
My whole right side was ripped open, filled with gravel.
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Hele min højre side var flænset op, fyldt med grus.
01:50
My head was cut open across the front, lifted back,
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Mit hoved var skåret åben foran, løftet tilbage,
01:52
exposing the skull underneath.
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viste kraniet indenunder.
01:54
I had head injures. I had internal injuries.
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Jeg havde hovedskader. Jeg havde indvendige skader.
01:56
I had massive blood loss. In fact, I lost about five liters
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Jeg havde mistet meget blod. Faktisk, havde jeg mistet cirka fem liter
01:59
of blood, which is all someone my size would actually hold.
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blod, hvilket er alt der er i en person på min størrelse.
02:02
By the time the helicopter arrived at Prince Henry Hospital
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Til den tid helikopteren ankom ved Prince Henry Hospital
02:05
in Sydney, my blood pressure was 40 over nothing.
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i Sydney, var mit blodtryk 40 over ingenting.
02:09
I was having a really bad day. (Laughter)
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Jeg havde en virkelig dårlig dag. (Latter)
02:18
For over 10 days, I drifted between two dimensions.
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I mere end 10 dage, svævede jeg mellem to dimensioner.
02:23
I had an awareness of being in my body, but also
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Jeg havde en bevidsthed om at være i min krop, men også
02:26
being out of my body, somewhere else, watching
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at være uden for min krop, et andet sted, betragtende
02:29
from above as if it was happening to someone else.
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ovenfra, som om det skete for en anden.
02:31
Why would I want to go back to a body that was so broken?
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Hvorfor skulle jeg have lyst til at tage tilbage til den krop der var så ødelagt?
02:34
But this voice kept calling me: "Come on, stay with me."
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Men denne stemme blev ved med at sige til mig: "Kom nu, bliv hos mig."
02:40
"No. It's too hard."
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"Nej. Det er for hårdt."
02:43
"Come on. This is our opportunity."
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"Kom nu. Dette er vores mulighed."
02:46
"No. That body is broken. It can no longer serve me."
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Nej. Den krop er ødelagt. Den kan ikke længere tjene mig."
02:49
"Come on. Stay with me. We can do it. We can do it together."
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"Kom nu. Bliv hos mig. Vi kan gøre det. Vi kan gøre det sammen."
02:55
I was at a crossroads.
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Jeg stod ved en krydsvej.
02:57
I knew if I didn't return to my body, I'd have to leave this world forever.
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Jeg vidste at hvis jeg ikke vendte tilbage til min krop, måtte jeg efterlade denne verden for altid.
03:01
It was the fight of my life.
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Det var mit livs kamp.
03:05
After 10 days, I made the decision to return to my body,
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Efter 10 dage, tog jeg beslutningen at vende tilbage til min krop,
03:10
and the internal bleeding stopped.
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og de indvendige blødninger holdte op.
03:14
The next concern was whether I would walk again,
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Den bekymring var om jeg kom til at gå igen,
03:18
because I was paralyzed from the waist down.
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fordi jeg var lammet fra taljen og ned.
03:20
They said to my parents, the neck break was a stable fracture,
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De sagde til mine forældre, at bruddet i nakken var en stabil fraktur,
03:23
but the back was completely crushed.
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men ryggen var fuldstændig knust.
03:25
The vertebra at L1 was like you'd dropped a peanut,
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Ryghvirvlen ved L1 svarede til at man havde tabt en jordnød,
03:28
stepped on it, smashed it into thousands of pieces.
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trådt på den, smadret den i tusinde stykker.
03:32
They'd have to operate.
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De skulle operere.
03:34
They went in. They put me on a beanbag. They cut me,
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De gik ind. De lagde mig på en sækkestol. De skar mig,
03:37
literally cut me in half, I have a scar
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skar mig bogstavelig talt halvt over, jeg har et ar
03:39
that wraps around my entire body.
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der går hele vejen rundt hele min krop.
03:42
They picked as much broken bone as they could
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De samlede så mange brækkede knogler som de kunne
03:45
that had lodged in my spinal cord.
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der havde sat sig fast i rygsøjlen.
03:47
They took out two of my broken ribs, and they rebuilt my back,
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De tog to af mine brækkede ribben ud, og de genopbyggede min ryg,
03:51
L1, they rebuilt it, they took out another broken rib,
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L1, de genopbyggede den, de tog et andet brækket ribben,
03:54
they fused T12, L1 and L2 together.
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de smeltede T12, L1 og L2 sammen.
03:57
Then they stitched me up. They took an entire hour to stitch me up.
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Så syede de mig sammen. De tog en hel time om at sy mig sammen.
04:00
I woke up in intensive care, and the doctors were really excited
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Jeg vågnede på intensiv afdelingen, og lægerne var virkelig begejstrede
04:03
that the operation had been a success because at that stage
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over at operationen var en succes fordi på det tidspunkt
04:06
I had a little bit of movement in one of my big toes,
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havde jeg en lille smule bevægelse i en af mine storetæer,
04:09
and I thought, "Great, because I'm going to the Olympics!"
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og jeg tænkte, "Fedt, fordi jeg kommer til Olympiaden!"
04:12
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
04:14
I had no idea. That's the sort of thing
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Jeg havde ingen anelse. Det er den slags ting
04:16
that happens to someone else, not me, surely.
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der sker for en anden, ikke mig, selvfølgelig.
04:19
But then the doctor came over to me, and she said,
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Men så kom lægen over til mig, og hun sagde,
04:22
"Janine, the operation was a success, and we've picked
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"Janine, operationen var en succes, og vi samlede
04:25
as much bone out of your spinal cord as we could,
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så meget knogle ud af din rygsøjle som vi kunne,
04:28
but the damage is permanent.
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men skaden er permanent.
04:29
The central nervous system nerves, there is no cure.
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Det centrale nervesystem, der er ikke nogen kur.
04:33
You're what we call a partial paraplegic, and you'll have
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Du er det man kalder delvis paraplegisk, og du kommer til at have
04:36
all of the injuries that go along with that.
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alle skaderne der følger med det.
04:39
You have no feeling from the waist down, and at most,
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Du kommer ikke til at have nogen følelse fra taljen og ned, og højest,
04:42
you might get 10- or 20-percent return.
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kunne du få 10 til 20 procent tilbage.
04:45
You'll have internal injuries for the rest of your life.
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Du kommer til at have indvendige skader resten af livet.
04:48
You'll have to use a catheter for the rest of your life.
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Du kommer til at have et kateter resten af dit liv.
04:51
And if you walk again, it will be with calipers and a walking frame."
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Og hvis du kommer til at gå igen, vil det være med en skydelære og et gangstativ."
04:56
And then she said, "Janine,
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Og så sagde hun, "Janine,
04:58
you'll have to rethink everything you do in your life,
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du skal revurdere alt du gør i dit liv,
05:00
because you're never going to be able to do the things you did before."
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fordi du kommer aldrig til at gøre de ting du gjorde før."
05:05
I tried to grasp what she was saying.
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Jeg prøvede at forstå hvad hun sagde.
05:07
I was an athlete. That's all I knew. That's all I'd done.
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Jeg var en atlet. Det var det eneste jeg viste. Der var det eneste jeg havde lavet.
05:10
If I couldn't do that, then what could I do?
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Hvis jeg ikke kunne regne med det, hvad kunne jeg så gøre?
05:13
And the question I asked myself is, if I couldn't do that,
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Og spørgsmålet jeg stillede mig selv er, hvis jeg ikke kunne gøre det,
05:17
then who was I?
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hvem var jeg så?
05:23
They moved me from intensive care to acute spinal.
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De flyttede mig fra intensiv afdelingen til akut rygmarv.
05:26
I was lying on a thin, hard spinal bed.
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Jeg lå på et tyndt, hårdt rygmarvsbræt.
05:29
I had no movement in my legs. I had tight stockings on
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Jeg havde ingen bevægelse i benene. Jeg havde stramme nylonstrømper på
05:31
to protect from blood clots.
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til at beskytte mig mod blodpropper.
05:33
I had one arm in plaster, one arm tied down by drips.
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Min ene arm var i gips, en arm blev holdt nede med et drop.
05:36
I had a neck brace and sandbags on either side of my head
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Jeg havde en nakke afstivning og sandsække på begge sider af mit hoved
05:39
and I saw my world through a mirror
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og jeg så min verden gennem et spejl
05:41
that was suspended above my head.
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der var hængt op over mit hoved.
05:45
I shared the ward with five other people,
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Jeg delte afdeling med fem andre mennesker,
05:48
and the amazing thing is that because we were all lying
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og det fantastiske er, at fordi vi alle sammen lå
05:50
paralyzed in a spinal ward, we didn't know what each other looked like.
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lamme på en rygmarvsafdeling, viste vi ikke hvordan de andre så ud.
05:55
How amazing is that? How often in life
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Hvor utroligt er det? Hvor tit i livet
05:58
do you get to make friendships, judgment-free,
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kommer man til at lave venskaber, fordomsfri,
06:03
purely based on spirit?
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udelukkende baseret på humør?
06:06
And there were no superficial conversations
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Og der var ikke nogen overfladiske samtaler
06:08
as we shared our innermost thoughts, our fears,
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hvor vi delte vores inderste tanker, vores frygt,
06:12
and our hopes for life after the spinal ward.
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og vores håb for livet efter rygmarvsafdeling.
06:16
I remember one night, one of the nurses came in,
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Jeg kan huske en nat, kom en af sygeplejerne ind,
06:19
Jonathan, with a whole lot of plastic straws.
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Jonathan, med en masse plastik sugerør.
06:23
He put a pile on top of each of us, and he said,
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Han lagde en bunke oven på os, og han sagde,
06:26
"Start threading them together."
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"Begynd at sætte dem sammen."
06:29
Well, there wasn't much else to do in the spinal ward, so we did.
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Jamen, der var ikke meget andet at lave i rygmarvsafdeling, så det gjorde vi.
06:32
And when we'd finished, he went around silently
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Og da vi var færdige, gik han stille rundt
06:36
and he joined all of the straws up
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og forbandt alle sugerørene
06:38
till it looped around the whole ward, and then he said,
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indtil den snoede sig gennem hele afdelingen, og så sagde han,
06:42
"Okay, everybody, hold on to your straws."
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"Okay, alle sammen, hold fast i jeres sugerør."
06:46
And we did. And he said, "Right. Now we're all connected."
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Og det gjorde vi. Og han sagde, "Okay. Nu er vi alle forbundet."
06:53
And as we held on, and we breathed as one,
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Og som vi holdte fast, og vi åndede som en,
06:58
we knew we weren't on this journey alone.
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vidste vi at vi ikke var alene i denne rejse.
07:02
And even lying paralyzed in the spinal ward,
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Og selv da jeg lå lammet på rygmarvsafdeling,
07:07
there were moments of incredible depth and richness,
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var der øjeblikke med utrolig dybde og rigdom,
07:10
of authenticity and connection
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af ægthed og forbindelse
07:13
that I had never experienced before.
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som jeg aldrig havde oplevet før.
07:18
And each of us knew that when we left the spinal ward
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Og vi vidste hver især at når vi forlod rygmarvsafdeling
07:22
we would never be the same.
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ville vi aldrig blive den samme.
07:27
After six months, it was time to go home.
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Seks måneder efter, var det tid til at tage hjem.
07:31
I remember Dad pushing me outside in my wheelchair,
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Jeg kan huske min far der skubbede mig ud i en kørestol,
07:35
wrapped in a plaster body cast,
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pakket ind i en gipsbandage der dækkede kroppen,
07:38
and feeling the sun on my face for the first time.
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og mærkede solen på mit ansigt for første gang.
07:41
I soaked it up and I thought,
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Jeg sugede det hele til mig og undrede mig over,
07:42
how could I ever have taken this for granted?
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hvordan jeg nogensinde kunne have taget dette for givet?
07:46
I felt so incredibly grateful for my life.
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Jeg følte mig så taknemmelig for mit liv.
07:51
But before I left the hospital, the head nurse
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Men inden jeg forlod sygehuset, oversygeplejersken
07:53
had said to me, "Janine, I want you to be ready,
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sagt til mig, "Janine, du skal være klar,
07:55
because when you get home, something's going to happen."
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for når du kommer hjem, kommer der til at ske noget."
07:58
And I said, "What?" And she said,
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Og jeg sagde, "Hvad?" Og hun sagde,
07:59
"You're going to get depressed."
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"Du bliver deprimeret."
08:02
And I said, "Not me, not Janine the Machine,"
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Og jeg sagde, "Ikke mig, ikke Janine the Machine,"
08:04
which was my nickname.
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hvilket var mit kælenavn.
08:06
She said, "You are, because, see, it happens to everyone.
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Hun sagde, "Det bliver du, fordi, ser du, det sker for alle.
08:09
In the spinal ward, that's normal.
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På rygmarvsafdeling er det normalt.
08:12
You're in a wheelchair. That's normal.
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Du er i en kørestol. Det er normalt.
08:13
But you're going to get home and realize
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Men du kommer hjem og opdager
08:16
how different life is."
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hvor anderledes livet er."
08:18
And I got home and something happened.
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Og jeg kom hjem og der skete noget.
08:24
I realized Sister Sam was right.
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Jeg blev klar over at søster Sam havde ret.
08:27
I did get depressed.
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Jeg blev deprimeret.
08:30
I was in my wheelchair. I had no feeling from the waist down,
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Jeg sad i min kørestol. Jeg havde ikke nogen følelse fra taljen og ned,
08:33
attached to a catheter bottle. I couldn't walk.
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og sad fast til en kateter flaske. Jeg kunne ikke gå.
08:37
I'd lost so much weight in the hospital
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Jeg havde tabt så meget vægt på sygehuset
08:39
I now weighed about 80 pounds.
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at jeg nu vejede omkring 36 kilo.
08:43
And I wanted to give up.
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Og jeg havde lyst til at give op.
08:45
All I wanted to do was put my running shoes on and run out the door.
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Det eneste jeg ville var at tage mine løbesko på og løbe ud af døren.
08:49
I wanted my old life back. I wanted my body back.
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Jeg ville have mit gamle liv tilbage. Jeg ville have min krop tilbage.
08:52
And I can remember Mom sitting on the end of my bed,
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Og jeg kan huske min mor sidde i fodenden af sengen,
08:55
and saying, "I wonder if life will ever be good again."
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og sagde, "Jeg spekulerer over om livet nogensinde bliver godt igen."
08:59
And I thought, "How could it? Because I've lost everything
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Og jeg tænkte, "Hvordan kan det? Fordi jeg har mistet alt
09:03
that I valued, everything that I'd worked towards.
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jeg værdsatte, alt som jeg havde arbejdet hen imod.
09:07
Gone."
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Væk."
09:10
And the question I asked was, "Why me? Why me?"
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Og spørgsmålet jeg stillede var, "Hvorfor mig? Hvorfor mig?"
09:15
And then I remembered my friends
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Og jeg kunne huskede på mine venner
09:19
that were still in the spinal ward,
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der stadig var på rygmarvsafdeling,
09:21
particularly Maria.
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især Maria.
09:23
Maria was in a car accident, and she woke up
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Maria havde været i en bilulykke, og hun vågnede
09:25
on her 16th birthday to the news that she was a complete quadriplegic,
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på sin 16 års fødselsdag til nyheden om at hun var ramt af quadreplegi,
09:30
had no movement from the neck down,
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havde ingen bevægelse fra halsen og ned,
09:32
had damage to her vocal chords, and she couldn't talk.
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havde beskadiget sit stemmebånd, og hun kunne ikke tale.
09:36
They told me, "We're going to move you next to her
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De fortalte mig, "Vi flytter hende ind ved siden af dig
09:38
because we think it will be good for her."
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fordi vi tror det vil være godt for hende."
09:40
I was worried. I didn't know how I'd react
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Jeg var bekymret. Jeg viste ikke hvordan jeg ville reagere
09:44
to being next to her.
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på at være ved siden af hende.
09:46
I knew it would be challenging, but it was actually a blessing,
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Jeg viste det ville være udfordrende, men det var faktisk en velsignelse,
09:50
because Maria always smiled.
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fordi Maria smilede altid.
09:55
She was always happy, and even when she began to talk again,
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Hun var altid glad, og selv da hun begyndte at tale igen,
09:59
albeit difficult to understand, she never complained, not once.
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omend hun var svær at forstå, hun klagede aldrig, ikke en gang.
10:05
And I wondered how had she ever found that level of acceptance.
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Og jeg undrede mig over hvordan hun havde fundet den grad af accept.
10:11
And I realized that this wasn't just my life.
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Og jeg blev klar over, at dette ikke kun var mit liv.
10:16
It was life itself. I realized that this wasn't just my pain.
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Det var selve livet. Jeg blev klar over at dette ikke kun var min smerte.
10:20
It was everybody's pain. And then I knew, just like before,
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Det var alles smerte. Og da vidste jeg, ligesom før,
10:25
that I had a choice. I could keep fighting this
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at jeg havde et valg. Jeg kunne blive ved med at bekæmpe dette
10:30
or I could let go and accept not only my body
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eller jeg kunne give slip og acceptere ikke kun min krop
10:35
but the circumstances of my life.
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men omstændighederne for mit liv.
10:38
And then I stopped asking, "Why me?"
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Og så holdte jeg op med at spørge, "Hvorfor mig?"
10:42
And I started to ask, "Why not me?"
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2953
Og jeg begyndte at spørge, "Hvorfor ikke mig?"
10:45
And then I thought to myself, maybe being at rock bottom
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Og jeg tænkte for mig selv, måske er det at ramme bunden,
10:49
is actually the perfect place to start.
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faktisk det perfekte sted at starte.
10:56
I had never before thought of myself as a creative person.
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Jeg havde aldrig tænkt på mig selv som en kreativ person.
11:00
I was an athlete. My body was a machine.
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Jeg var en atlet. Min krop var en maskine.
11:04
But now I was about to embark on the most creative project
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Men nu var jeg ved at gå i gang med det mest kreative projekt
11:08
that any of us could ever do:
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som nogen af os nogensinde kunne:
11:10
that of rebuilding a life.
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2720
genopbygningen af et liv.
11:13
And even though I had absolutely no idea
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Og selvom jeg ikke havde nogen anelse om
11:15
what I was going to do, in that uncertainty
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hvad jeg ville gøre, kom i den usikkerhed
11:18
came a sense of freedom.
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662863
2444
en følelse af frihed.
11:21
I was no longer tied to a set path.
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2754
Jeg var ikke længere bundet til et fast vej.
11:23
I was free to explore life's infinite possibilities.
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Jeg var fri til at udforske livets uendelige muligheder.
11:30
And that realization was about to change my life.
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Og den erkendelse kom til at ændre mit liv.
11:36
Sitting at home in my wheelchair and my plaster body cast,
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680403
4804
Da jeg sad hjemme i min kørestol og min krop bundet ind i gibs,
11:41
an airplane flew overhead, and I looked up,
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3889
fløj et fly henover hovedet, og jeg kiggede op,
11:44
and I thought to myself, "That's it!
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og jeg tænkte, "Det er det!
11:47
If I can't walk, then I might as well fly."
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692003
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Hvis jeg ikke kan gå, så kan jeg lige så godt flyve."
11:52
I said, "Mom, I'm going to learn how to fly."
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Jeg sagde, "Mor, jeg vil lære at flyve."
11:54
She said, "That's nice, dear." (Laughter)
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Hun sagde, "Det er fint søde." (Latter)
11:59
I said, "Pass me the yellow pages."
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1931
Jeg sagde, "Ræk mig de gule sider."
12:00
She passed me the phone book, I rang up the flying school,
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Hun rakte mig telefonbogen, jeg ringede til ringede til flyveskolen,
12:03
I made a booking, said I'd like to make a booking to come out for a flight.
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Jeg lavede en bestilling, sagde at jeg gerne ville bestille en tid for at komme ud for at flyve.
12:06
They said, "You know, when do you want to come out?"
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De sagde, "I ved, hvornår vil du komme forbi?"
12:08
I said, "Well, I have to get a friend to drive me out
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1853
Jeg sagde, "Jamen, jeg skal have en ven til at køre mig derud
12:10
because I can't drive. Sort of can't walk either.
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fordi jeg kan ikke køre. Jeg kan på en måde heller ikke gå.
12:14
Is that a problem?"
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718170
990
Er det et problem?"
12:15
I made a booking, and weeks later my friend Chris
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Jeg bestilte en tid, og uger senere kørte min ven Chris
12:17
and my mom drove me out to the airport,
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og min mor mig ud til lufthavnen,
12:18
all 80 pounds of me covered in a plaster body cast
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2693
alle mine 36 kilo dækket i gipsbandager
12:21
in a baggy pair of overalls. (Laughter)
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3036
i en poset kedeldragt. (Latter)
12:24
I can tell you, I did not look like the ideal candidate
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Jeg kan fortælle jer, at jeg ikke lignede den ideelle kandidat
12:27
to get a pilot's license. (Laughter)
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til at få et pilotcertifikat. (Latter)
12:30
I'm holding on to the counter because I can't stand.
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Jeg holder fast ved skranken fordi jeg ikke kan stå.
12:32
I said, "Hi, I'm here for a flying lesson."
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1814
Jeg sagde, "Hej, jeg er her til min flyvetime."
12:34
And they took one look and ran out the back to draw short straws.
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3266
Og de kiggede en gang på mig og løb ud bagved for at trække
12:37
"You get her.""No, no, you take her."
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3918
"Du får hende." "Nej, nej, du tager hende."
12:41
Finally this guy comes out. He goes,
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1330
Til sidst kom denne fyr ud. Han sagde,
12:42
"Hi, I'm Andrew, and I'm going to take you flying."
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"Hej, jeg er Andrew, og jeg tager dig med ud at flyve."
12:44
I go, "Great." And so they drive me down,
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1628
Jeg siger, "Fedt." så de kører mig ud,
12:46
they get me out on the tarmac,
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de får mig ud på landingsbanen,
12:47
and there was this red, white and blue airplane.
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og der var dette røde, hvide og blå fly.
12:49
It was beautiful. They lifted me into the cockpit.
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Det var smukt. De løftede mig op i cockpittet.
12:52
They had to slide me up on the wing, put me in the cockpit.
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De skulle rutsje mig op på vingen, sætte mig ind i cockpittet.
12:55
They sat me down. There are buttons and dials everywhere.
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De satte mig ned. Der er knapper og skiver over alt.
12:57
I'm going, "Wow, how do you ever know what all these buttons and dials do?"
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Jeg siger, "Wow, hvordan ved du overhovedet hvad alle disse knapper og skiver gør?"
13:01
Andrew the instructor got in the front, started the airplane up.
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2543
Instruktøren Andrew satte sig ind foran, startede flyet.
13:03
He said, "Would you like to have a go at taxiing?"
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2062
Han sagde, "Vil du prøve at taxie?"
13:05
That's when you use your feet to control the rudder pedals
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2201
Det er når man bruger fødderne til at styre fodhamlen
13:07
to control the airplane on the ground.
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til at styre flyet på jorden.
13:10
I said, "No, I can't use my legs."
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Jeg sagde, "Nej, jeg kan ikke bruge mine ben."
13:12
He went, "Oh."
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1212
Han sagde, "Åh."
13:13
I said, "But I can use my hands," and he said, "Okay."
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Jeg sagde, "Men jeg kan bruge mine hænder," og han sagde, "Okay."
13:16
So he got over to the runway, and he applied the power.
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3029
Så han kom over til landingsbanen, og han satte fart på.
13:19
And as we took off down the runway,
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Og som vi kørte ned af landingsbanen,
13:22
and the wheels lifted up off the tarmac, and we became airborne,
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4010
og hjulene løftede sig fra landingsbanen, og vi blev luftbårne,
13:26
I had the most incredible sense of freedom.
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Jeg havde den mest utrolige følelse af frihed,
13:31
And Andrew said to me,
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Og Andrew sagde til mig,
13:33
as we got over the training area,
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som vi kom hen over trænings området,
13:36
"You see that mountain over there?"
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"Kan du se det bjerg derovre?"
13:38
And I said, "Yeah."
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Og jeg sagde, "Ja"
13:40
And he said, "Well, you take the controls, and you fly towards that mountain."
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Og han sagde, "Jamen, du overtager styringen, og du flyver mod det bjerg."
13:45
And as I looked up, I realized
253
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2482
Og da jeg kiggede op, opdagede jeg
13:47
that he was pointing towards the Blue Mountains
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3223
at han pegede mod Blue Mountains
13:50
where the journey had begun.
255
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hvor rejsen var startet.
13:53
And I took the controls, and I was flying.
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4585
Og jeg tog styringen, og så fløj jeg.
13:58
And I was a long, long way from that spinal ward,
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3053
Og jeg var langt, langt væk fra rygmarvsafdeling,
14:01
and I knew right then that I was going to be a pilot.
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4142
og jeg vidste med det samme, at jeg ville være pilot.
14:05
Didn't know how on Earth I'd ever pass a medical.
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Anede ikke hvordan jeg nogensinde skulle bestå den lægelige undersøgelse.
14:09
But I'd worry about that later, because right now I had a dream.
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Men det kunne jeg bekymre mig om senere, fordi lige nu havde jeg en drøm.
14:12
So I went home, I got a training diary out, and I had a plan.
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4224
Så jeg tog hjem, jeg fandt en trænings dagbog frem, og jeg havde en plan.
14:16
And I practiced my walking as much as I could,
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Og jeg øvede mig på at gå så meget som jeg kunne,
14:19
and I went from the point of two people holding me up
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3134
og jeg gik fra punktet hvor to personer holdte mig oppe
14:22
to one person holding me up
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til punktet hvor en person holdte mig oppe
14:25
to the point where I could walk around the furniture
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1902
til det punkt hvor jeg kunne gå rundt om møblerne
14:27
as long as it wasn't too far apart.
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så længe de ikke stod for langt fra hinanden.
14:30
And then I made great progression to the point
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Og så lavede jeg stor fremgang til det punkt
14:32
where I could walk around the house, holding onto the walls,
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2232
hvor jeg kunne gå rundt i huset, mens jeg holdte fast i væggene,
14:34
like this, and Mom said she was forever following me,
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3590
sådan her, og min mor sagde at hun fulgte efter mig altid,
14:38
wiping off my fingerprints. (Laughter)
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3653
og tørrede mine fingeraftryk af. (Latter)
14:41
But at least she always knew where I was.
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Men hun vidste i det mindste altid hvor jeg var.
14:46
So while the doctors continued to operate
272
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2386
Så mens lægerne fortsatte med at operere
14:48
and put my body back together again,
273
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2037
og sætte min krop sammen igen,
14:50
I went on with my theory study, and then eventually,
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3655
jeg fortsatte med at studere teori, og med tiden,
14:54
and amazingly, I passed my pilot's medical,
275
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3435
og utroligt nok, bestod jeg min lægelige undersøgelse,
14:58
and that was my green light to fly.
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2532
og det var dette grønne lys for at jeg kunne flyve.
15:00
And I spent every moment I could out at that flying school,
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Og jeg tilbragte hvert øjeblik jeg kunne ved den flyveskole,
15:03
way out of my comfort zone,
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1538
langt uden for min tryghedszone,
15:04
all these young guys that wanted to be Qantas pilots,
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2402
alle disse unge fyre der ville være Quantas piloter,
15:07
you know, and little old hop-along me in first my plaster cast,
280
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3487
I ved, og lille mig der hoppede med i min første gipsbandage,
15:10
and then my steel brace, my baggy overalls,
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2701
og så min stål skinne, mine posede overalls,
15:13
my bag of medication and catheters and my limp,
282
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3566
min pose med medicin og katetere og min haltende gang,
15:16
and they used to look at me and think,
283
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1261
og de plejede at kigge på mig og tænke,
15:18
"Oh, who is she kidding? She's never going to be able to do this."
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3371
"Åh, hvem prøver hun at narre? Hun kommer aldrig til at klare det her."
15:21
And sometimes I thought that too.
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1903
Og nogen gange tænkte jeg det også.
15:23
But that didn't matter, because now there was something inside that burned
286
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4500
Men det gjorde ikke noget, fordi nu var der noget der brændte inden i mig
15:27
that far outweighed my injuries.
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4387
der uden tvivl opvejede mine skader.
15:32
And little goals kept me going along the way,
288
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1965
Og små mål holdte mig fra at komme med,
15:34
and eventually I got my private pilot's license,
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3726
og til sidst endte jeg med at få mit pilotcertifikat,
15:38
and then I learned to navigate, and I flew my friends around Australia.
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5230
og jeg lærte at navigere, og jeg fløj mine venner rundt om Australien.
15:43
And then I learned to fly an airplane with two engines
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2828
Og så lærte jeg at flyve et fly med to motorer
15:46
and I got my twin engine rating.
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2566
og jeg fik mit certifikat til to motorers fly.
15:48
And then I learned to fly in bad weather as well as fine weather
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2945
Og så lærte jeg at flyve i dårligt vejr lige så vel som godt vejr,
15:51
and got my instrument rating.
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2465
og så fik jeg mit instrument klassificering.
15:54
And then I got my commercial pilot's license.
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3104
Og så fik jeg mit kommercielle pilot certifikat.
15:57
And then I got my instructor rating.
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2723
Og så fik jeg min instruktør klassificering.
15:59
And then I found myself back at that same school
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3199
Og så fandt jeg mig selv tilbage på den samme skole
16:03
where I'd gone for that very first flight,
298
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2248
som jeg var taget til, til den aller første flyvetur,
16:05
teaching other people how to fly,
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3146
og lærte andre mennesker at flyve,
16:08
just under 18 months after I'd left the spinal ward.
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4142
mindre end 18 måneder efter jeg forlod rygmarvsafdeling.
16:12
(Applause)
301
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11554
(Bifald)
16:24
And then I thought, "Why stop there?
302
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2151
Og så tænkte jeg, "Hvorfor stoppe her?
16:26
Why not learn to fly upside down?"
303
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3271
Hvorfor ikke lære at flyve med hovedet ned?"
16:29
And I did, and I learned to fly upside down
304
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2654
Og det gjorde jeg, og jeg lærte at flyve med hovedet nedad
16:32
and became an aerobatics flying instructor.
305
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4058
og jeg blev instruktør i kunstflyvning.
16:36
And Mom and Dad? Never been up.
306
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6183
Og mor og far? De har aldrig været med.
16:42
But then I knew for certain that although my body might be limited,
307
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5715
Men så vidste jeg med sikkerhed at selvom min krop måske var begrænset,
16:48
it was my spirit that was unstoppable.
308
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5162
så var det min ånd der var ustoppelig.
16:53
The philosopher Lao Tzu once said,
309
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3381
Filosoffen Lao Tzu sagde engang,
16:56
"When you let go of what you are,
310
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2919
"Når man giver slip på hvem man er,
16:59
you become what you might be."
311
1003766
3431
bliver man det man måske er."
17:03
I now know that it wasn't until I let go of who I thought I was
312
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4905
Jeg ved nu, at det ikke var før jeg gav slip på hvem jeg troede jeg var
17:08
that I was able to create a completely new life.
313
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4201
at jeg var i stand til at skabe et helt nyt liv.
17:12
It wasn't until I let go of the life I thought I should have
314
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4637
Det var ikke før jeg gav slip på det liv jeg troede jeg skulle have
17:16
that I was able to embrace the life that was waiting for me.
315
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4784
før jeg var i stand til at omfavne det liv der ventede på mig.
17:21
I now know that my real strength
316
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3221
Jeg ved at nu min virkelige styrke
17:24
never came from my body,
317
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3217
aldrig kom fra min krop,
17:28
and although my physical capabilities have changed dramatically,
318
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5007
og selvom mine fysiske evner har ændret sig drastisk,
17:33
who I am is unchanged.
319
1037169
3783
er jeg som person den samme.
17:36
The pilot light inside of me was still a light,
320
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4339
Piloten inden i mig var stadig et lys,
17:41
just as it is in each and every one of us.
321
1045291
4697
ligesom det er inden i hver og en af os.
17:45
I know that I'm not my body,
322
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3223
Jeg ved at jeg ikke er min krop,
17:49
and I also know that you're not yours.
323
1053211
3448
og jeg ved også at I ikke er jeres.
17:52
And then it no longer matters what you look like,
324
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4276
Og så betyder det ikke længere noget hvordan man ser ud,
17:56
where you come from, or what you do for a living.
325
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4318
hvor man kommer fra, eller hvad man arbejder med.
18:01
All that matters is that we continue to fan the flame of humanity
326
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5447
Det eneste der betyder noget er at vi bliver ved med at puste til menneskehedens flamme
18:06
by living our lives as the ultimate creative expression
327
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4052
ved at leve vores liv som det ultimative udtryk
18:10
of who we really are,
328
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3766
for hvem vi er i virkeligheden,
18:14
because we are all connected
329
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2806
fordi vi er alle forbundet
18:17
by millions and millions of straws,
330
1081324
4147
af millioner og millioner af sugerør,
18:21
and it's time to join those up
331
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2921
og det er på tide at samle dem op
18:24
and to hang on.
332
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og holde fast.
18:26
And if we are to move towards our collective bliss,
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Og hvis vi skal bevæge os mod vores kollektive lyksalighed,
18:30
it's time we shed our focus on the physical
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er det på tide at vi skiller os af med vores fokus på det fysiske
18:33
and instead embrace the virtues of the heart.
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og i stedet omfavner hjertets dyder.
18:37
So raise your straws if you'll join me.
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Så løft jeres sugerør hvis I vil slutte jer til mig.
18:41
Thank you. (Applause)
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Tak. (Bifald)
18:47
Thank you.
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4970
Tak.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Janine Shepherd - PilotAspiring Olympic skier Janine Shepherd was nearly killed when she was hit by a truck during a training bike ride. Paralysed and immobile for six months, she was given a grim picture for recovery. But not only did she teach herself to walk again— she learned to fly.
Why you should listen
Janine Shepherd is a “walking paraplegic.” Defying her disability, she has become a commercial pilot and aerobatics instructor, motivational speaker, best-selling author, and mother of three. A champion cross-country skier in training for the Calgary Olympics, Janine’s life changed forever when she was hit by a truck during a bicycle ride in the Blue Mountains of Australia. Doctors did not expect her to survive.
After six months in hospital—nearly all of it on her back—Janine focused intently on healing both her broken body and crushed morale. A turning point in her recovery came when a small plane flying overhead gave her the most improbable idea. “That’s it!” she exclaimed from her wheelchair. “If I can’t walk, I’ll fly.”
Still encased in a full body cast, Janine had to be lifted into an aircraft for her introductory flight lesson. But within a year she had defied the odds and earned her private pilot’s license. Her talent and skill as a pilot earned Janine a commercial pilot license and ultimately, her flying instructor’s rating. Then she decided to learn to fly upside down, and finally, to teach acrobatic flight to other pilots.
Janine is an ambassador for Spinal Cure Australia and Red Bull Wings For Life, and is committed to helping find a cure for spinal cord injury in the near future. She was awarded the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest honor. She is a contributor to Deepak Chopra’s workshops, and has been featured on 60 Minutes and This Is Your Life.
In the meantime, she seeks to inspire those coping with physical disability and life challenges. Janine is the author of six books, including the newly released memoir Defiant: A Broken Body Is Not a Broken Person. She regularly delivers inspirational keynotes to audiences of thousands in countries around the world.
Janine Shepherd | Speaker | TED.com