...my third or fourth-day post-surgery, I figured I'd better make the best of what I've got, with the family support, my wife and the rest of my family. I knew that I was going to have something, things to do keep me busy, and help with the family business.
Meet Jeff Nuckles. Jeff grew up in a family where auto racing was the life blood of how time and money were spent. From a four-year old toddler driving midget race cars, through his 20s, Jeff could be found hanging out at the Columbus Motor Speedway or other similar tracks around the mid-west, working, driving cars, competing winning against other drivers. All was well with Jeff, wife Cindy and two young sons until a race in 1984 where Jeff’s car flipped and he suffered a spinal cord injury that put him in a wheelchair. Jeff and Cindy’s lives changed forever in a split second.
For me, a Hero is someone who experiences extreme adversity, deals with it head on, and does so with courage and tenacity well beyond how most others deal with far less significant challenges. Jeff Nuckles is my Hero. He is an example of optimism and encouragement to those who, like me, know him well. I am a better off having known Jeff the past 45 years. Please enjoy getting to know Jeff yourself.
—Mark Palmer