In the know.

Bill Kukuk is the ultimate, unstoppable man. He is both a survivor and a fighter. Not only is he a veteran of the Vietnam War, he also fought and defeated lymphoma. If that isn’t enough, at the age of 71, in November of 2013 he also suffered a massive stroke leaving his right side paralyzed.

The stroke came less than 24 hours after returning from a ski trip where Bill was tearing up the slopes. Bill’s life has always been defined by strength and resilience. He is the type of guy that is always going, going, going.  For most, this type of unexpected health event would sideline us from living an adventurous life. But not Bill, he just looked for ways to modify his activity, specifically turning to a three wheeled bike to keep his life moving in the fast lane. This bike has been adapted to meet Bill’s needs and was made possible by the Outdoor Adventure Coalition in his home state of Ohio.

“Some people might scale back on their activity after an event like this, but Bill is always exercising and putting the rest of us to shame,” reflected Debbie Zienty, Marketing Director. Bill dedicates time each day to lifting weights and riding the stationary bike in the fitness center.

There is no doubt, if the average person followed Bill around for a day, they might be exhausted after a morning of lifting weights, but Bill is only getting started. He spends time making laps around the campus on his custom tricycle.

Bill and Ellen are sharing Bill’s story because they want people to know that there is life after a stroke. Bill and over 100 million stroke survivors worldwide are here to prove it.

‍· In the US in 2022, 1 in 6 deaths from cardiovascular disease was due to stroke.

· Every 40 seconds, someone in the US has a stroke and every three minutes and fourteen seconds, someone dies of stroke.

· Nearly 1 in 4 strokes happen to people who have had a previous stroke.

· Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability.

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