2021-August-26
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Uncovering My Resilience and Perseverance
BY BRAD KOMPELIEN · SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCY BUSINESS STRATEGY PROGRAM MANAGER· UNITED STATES
WITH HELEN GALL
Starting August 24, we have the chance to watch some of the greatest athletes in the world compete in the Paralympic Games. Each world-class athlete has a story of hard work and determination that landed them in Tokyo.
When I watch Paralympic athletes compete on the world stage, I’m in awe of their athletic ability. But more impressive to me is their personal confidence.
Why do I find this so incredible? I am an amputee and what I’ve come to learn is that, for 20 years, I have struggled with the insecurity of being an amputee and concern of what people think of me.
In June 1999, at the age of 12, I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer).
I was a budding athlete, having just been selected to my Little League All-Star Team.
Over the next year, I received 26 rounds of chemotherapy and had the lower half of my left leg amputated. It was the most challenging time of my life, as I fought daily for my life.
Through the help of world-class doctors and nurses at the Stanford Children’s Hospital, much support and prayer from friends and family, as well as my own stubbornness, I beat cancer.
I am incredibly blessed and fortunate to be alive. I have a beautiful wife and kids and an exciting and promising career.
Losing my leg as a teenager, I have always wanted to be viewed as "normal.”
For most of my career at Cisco, I have kept my leg covered — literally and figuratively. For example, someone may notice a slight limp in my gait and ask if my leg is OK. Typically, I would lie and tell them that I twisted my knee or ankle over the weekend. I was embarrassed to be different.
This led me to leave part of myself — the most important part of myself — at home every day. I was not bringing my whole self to work.
In May 2019, our Supply Chain Operations organization held what we call Development Day. The session’s focus was on inclusion, which I’d come to associate with gender and ethnic topics in the workplace.
I knew I wanted to help our workplace become more inclusive, but thought I would do this to help others.
One of the speakers brought up the term “covering” in the workplace. Covering is to hide or downplay certain aspects of yourself as to not appear different.
As I listened to the speaker share examples of what this looks like in the workplace, I realized, even as a white male, from a middle-class suburban background, I still have something that I "cover" when I come to work.
When I chose to cover my leg, I carried so much emotional baggage and stress. I was doing two jobs:
- My Cisco job.
- Covering my leg.
That’s exhausting!
I learned that I need to stop covering my leg and my incredible story. My story is what makes me special and unique. My cancer experience taught me to never give up, no matter what obstacles lie in the way. After my leg was amputated, I had to learn to walk again.
It was an incredibly frustrating process, and sometimes I wanted to give up. But I always kept in mind that I wanted to be an athlete again and do any activity my brothers and friends could do.
Today, most people have no idea I have a prosthetic leg because I walk so well.
I get to experience the benefits of my hard work and persistence each time I backpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Having faced death at such a young age, I have deep gratitude for each day that is afforded me. I want to live life to the fullest and push myself to achieve goals others may feel impossible or unattainable.
I have grown more comfortable sharing my cancer story and the fact I have a prosthetic leg. Believe me, it’s still hard at times to fight against the desire to conform and be like everyone else.
I would love to have my leg back, but I realize my cancer experience as an adolescent has molded and shaped me into the man I am today.
My story of resilience and perseverance makes me a great employee for Cisco, and Cisco encourages me to bring my whole self to work.
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