Jonathan Heider Laedtke, a Paralympic swimmer and inclusivity expert, will be a keynote speaker at RISE West 2024 in September. In this article, RISE talks to Laedtke about what he hopes attendees will learn from his upcoming presentation.
Jonathan Heider Laedtke knows a thing or two about building resilience against all odds.
Indeed, he didn’t have an easy start in life. He was born during the Croatian Civil War of Independence and his biological family placed him in an orphanage, unable to care for a baby with no arms or legs.
But life turned for the better when a Catholic nun from Wisconsin on a mission trip to Croatia visited the orphanage and contacted a family in Green Bay, Wis. she knew wanted to adopt a child with special needs and asked if they’d consider adopting him. Sight unseen, they answered, yes.
Back then, his adopted family and Laedtke had no idea of his determination and that he would become an international paralympic swimmer with multiple records, earn degrees in architecture, and establish a public speaking business. It’s these pivotal moments in life that Ladetke will cover during his keynote presentation at RISE West 2024 on Thursday, Sept. 12.
“My program is a collection of stories focusing on these pivotal moments in my life that have gotten me to where I am today,” he said during a recent interview. “I think as a society, we’re always looking ahead thinking about what’s the next goal, what’s the next obstacle, what do I need to overcome next? I think there is an opportunity to look back and see all the moments that have gotten us to where we are today. Everybody has their own success stories, no matter how big or how small, about getting them to where they are today.”
During the second half of his presentation, Laedtke intends to answer questions he thinks people want to know about his life as a congenital quad amputee, how he became independent, and his hurdles within the medical system. He’s eager to address health care professionals at RISE West and explain to them the importance of listening to patients and taking their concerns seriously.
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“Everybody knows their own body better than anybody else. Especially people who have disabilities, a lot of them deal with chronic pain or chronic health issues. They know what’s a normal pain and what’s a normal health issue for them. But if there is something that’s different, the biggest thing is to believe them that it’s not a normal situation,” he says.
One of the biggest lessons Laedtke says he’s learned in life is to advocate for himself. “It’s not about fighting with medical professionals, but I do tell them we need to take this seriously. What can we do about this? Please don’t brush this off,” he says.
He hopes RISE West attendees will feel comfortable asking him questions they may have always wanted to know about living with disabilities. “I’m an open book and this is going to be a safe space for them to ask the questions they may have wanted to ask. It’s an opportunity for us to learn from one another and grow.”
RISE West 2024 will take place September 11-13 at The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs. Laedtke will present his keynote, “Building Resilience Against All Odds,” at 11:55 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 12. Click here to learn more about the annual event, including the full agenda, roster of speakers, networking opportunities, and how to register.