Carlana Stone, Founder of the Courage Community

For a teenager who had everything going for her, a life confined to a wheelchair may seem like some tragic ending. Just spend 5 minutes with Carlana Stone and you’ll believe her life is more of a fairytale. A fantastic journey that certainly hasn’t ended... but rather, just begun.

Stone was only 17, when a momentary lapse of judgment changed the course of her life forever. She got into a car with a friend who was driving drunk. Carlana lost the use of her legs, but never lost her adventurous spirit.

Carlana is a pilot. She also skydives and is a certified scuba diver. When she’s on the road, however, you’re more likely to see Carlana zipping around town on her Harley Davidson tryke, rather than her convertible Mustang.

Carlana doesn’t just embrace life, she yanks it around and takes it for a wild ride. Breaking stereotypes and challenging stigmas has become a way of life for Carlana.

"Pay No Attention to Boundaries!"

Stone became the first wheelchair-wielding reporter for ABC in Miami, Florida. She is an Emmy-nominated television producer; and the acclaimed author of Never Give In, Never Give Up. Stone is a speaker who has given talks in venues all over the world. Carlana is also the founder of CourageCommunity.org, a non-profit organization integrating social networking with social activism. "With the single click of a button, each of us can now become a catalyst for positive change."


In The Blink Of An Eye

At 17, Carlana Stone was gorgeous, successful and seemed to have it all as a gymnast, a cheerleader and student body president. Then fate stepped in, and in a moment of bad judgment, she and her friends got into a car with a drunk driver.

So a talk with Carlana begins with "the chair." The open and frank discussion about the physical and emotional impact of her a life-altering moment immediately creates a sense of intimacy. But the chair does more than serve as a starting point; it allows the audience to connect to Carlana as someone with flaws and weaknesses just like them.

Like Carlana, we all face challenges and experience pain in our lives. But we discover along with Carlana that we are not alone in the challenges we sometimes face - and can grow past adversity to enjoy new, more exciting experiences in our lives. And we learn that it's okay to seek help from others, to share our experiences, and to gain strength from one another.




"There Comes No Courage Without Fear"

Coping with the loss of loved ones, surviving abusive relationships, overcoming physical adversity and losing a job or losing one’s sense of identity are all subjects that Carlana discusses with absolute honesty and familiarity.

Carlana provides audiences with powerful visuals and emotional demonstrations – lasting impressions, how each and every one of us can climb even the highest mountain with dignity and grace. But perhaps most important of all, Carlana demonstrates how we can find the strength within ourselves to constantly grow - Carlana shows you how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and begin living a fulfilling and enriching life.

Carlana was chosen among tens of thousands to participate as a contestant on Oprah Winfrey’s The Big Give on ABC. She has been featured on numerous talk shows including Oprah, Larry King Live, Montel and NBC’s Life Moments. Carlana’s first solo flight was featured exclusively on CBS’ The Early Show. She appears frequently on various network and cable television news shows, in addition to web-based programs. Carlana regularly grants interviews for Nationally-syndicated and Local Radio.

Carlana is a highly sought-after Empowerment Speaker – delivering Keynotes to audiences around the world, including Britain’s illustrious House of Lords, LA Unified School District, and various engagements with local, national, and international groups.

c.2009 The Courage Community Foundation, a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization