‘I just realised there’s nothing I can do about it. So why focus on what I can’t control?’
A teenage bodybuilding enthusiast is being praised for the way he’s battled adversity and not shied away from the spotlight.
Jackson Schop, 19, had sculptured an enviable physique after coming out of a coma while his one arm remained paralysed and has become social media famous along the way. The teen has even caught the attention of bodybuilding fitness network, Generation Iron.
A snowmobile accident left the teen in a coma in 2022 and when he woke up he had a permanent physical disability. But that didn’t stop him from continuing to pump iron.
In 2022, Jackson was involved in a snowmobile accident that left him in a coma.
Jackson’s left arm was left paralysed and is unable to grow. His right arm, however, is massive, as his legs.
He’s since been praised for his mental and physical strength and the way he’s dealt with people asking about his left arm.
Jackson insists he “just works out” and is “not inspirational”, but his 100,000 followers think otherwise.
After explaining why one arm was bigger than the other, Jackson was showered with praise.
“Huge respect to this guy for keeping up the grind and taking jokes,” one person wrote.
Another added: “Keep going bro. That’s f****** awesome to see you battle forward.”
Jackson has also inspired others to share stories of their loved ones battling adversity: “Proud of you kid. My fiance was hit by a truck in his early teens, and his injury is very similar to yours.
“He has a brachial plexus injury, some scarring, and limited use of his right arm. He makes jokes all the time about being a cripple, but in all seriousness he’s never let it hold him back from anything. He can do more with the use of one arm than a lot of people can do with the use of both arms. He just sometimes has to figure out a different way of doing some things. You’re doing amazing! Keep pushing!”
After leaving hospital, Jackson set himself a goal: “Get in the best shape of my life, regardless of my paralysed arm.”
“I can officially say I accomplished my goal,” he noted.
Speaking about learning to live with and accept his paralysed arm, Jackson said “part of me doesn’t really know how I accepted it”.
“I would say for the most part, I just realised there’s nothing I can do about it. So why focus on what I can’t control?
“Instead, I focus on what I can control and by doing this it allows me to excel in other areas of my life, like for example, fitness – I’m in the best shape of my life. “But if I were to focus on my paralysed arm, complain and be a victim to my injury, I would not be where I am today.”
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