"Quadriplegic Paralympian for Team Jesus" Joe Delagrave

Letters From Home

Can you imagine at age 19, after a boating accident, waking up from surgery to the doctors telling you that you will never walk again? This is the beginning of Joe Delagrave’s deep transformation. His journey to forgiveness and faith is one you will never forget. He brings us into his happy but imperfect childhood, his WSU football days, his boating accident, a life-changing prison visit, and ultimately his inner heart working, that gave him the drive of an Olympian. He is a keynote speaker, Team USA Paralympic Wheelchair Rigby Player, and well loved child of God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
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Topics Shared:
Soaking up affirmation from coaches
His goal in high school was being a college athlete
Supportive parents
Birth father in prison, missed Joe’s entire childhood
It wasn’t 15 years for some crazy offense, it was choices over and over
Drugs, check fraud, not paying his rent
At 13 God spoke to him about being a speaker
His battle between pleasing people or pleasing God
Football Scholarship to Winona State in Mn.
Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin and the back sloughs of Mississippi
Boating accident
Spinal cord injury levels
Joe’s neck snaps at the C6 and C7, and he blacks out
Rescue boat, ambulance, then med flighted to the local hospital
The Asia Test proves his spinal injury
Airlifted to LaCrosse Hospital for surgery to fuse his C6 and 7
Complete quadriplegic or incomplete quadriplegic?
Don Beebee House of Speed shirt cut off
Opening his eyes to Prov. 3:5-6, and a newly-abled world
Surrounded by loving family
The God of 2nd chances
Functioning as an incomplete C6 and C7 quadriplegic
God softens his heart toward his dad
Visiting his birth father in prison
Reconciliation and forgiveness in one life-changing encounter
Marriage, babies and adaptive sports
Discovering wheelchair rugby
An athlete again
Preparing, making and medaling in the Paralympics
A plan of 3’s
Resources:
Website- https://www.joedelagrave.com/
IG- @jdelagrave14
Joe’s Quotes:
“Are we on fire for God, or on fire for what people think? A lot of times those two don’t coexist very well.”
“As my athletic career was taking off, my relationship with Jesus was completely going the opposite way.”
“Going through sports and you see the dads coaching their kids, I was so jealous of the relationship.”
“We never know what kind of impact we make by simply being kind.”
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