Highlight on Mike May

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There is Always a Way

"It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive."

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Highlight on Mike May

Mike holds the record for downhill blind speed skiing of 65 MPH

Image copyright by Mike May

Mike celebrating the release of Crashing Through with Stevie Wonder and long time friend and colleague Rob Reis

Image copyright by Mike May

Mike on a joy ride with his accessible GPS device

Image copyright by Mike May

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself."
- Søren Kierkegaard

Mike May was totally blinded at age three from an explosion of calcium carbide. He grew up believing he was lucky to be blind and still alive. Today Mike is a leader in the field of advancing technology and mobility for the independence of the visually impaired and blind. Mike's personal life and professional career have been characterized by pioneering efforts in business and community service.

Mike is at the forefront of technology for the disabled in his leadership of the development of location information literacy. To further the efforts of his causes and ventures, Mike May has generated media to millions of viewers and met numerous celebrities including meeting four U.S. Presidents. Mike was acknowledged at the White House by Ronald Reagan after competing in the Paralympics and earning the downhill skiing world record of 65MPH at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics. "Mike, you and the other competitors here are testimony to all young people that they should never be afraid to dream big dreams and they should never hesitate to try to make those dreams a reality"

The single most outstanding aspect of Mike May's unique contribution to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities is his character. It is said that adversity builds character. Mike takes that statement a step further by allowing his character to conquer adversity. He has many qualities that exemplify him as a leader.

Mike is a 'can-do' person, from raising millions of dollars in starting four high-tech companies to setting up blind ski programs in 10 countries and 15 states.
As a writer, lecturer, mentor, and luminary, Mike has been a major force in moving Americans toward more practical and realistic views about people with disabilities. In one year alone over 40 million people saw or heard about Mike and his programs through media like ABC Wide World of Sports, NBC Dateline, Discover and Readers Digest Magazines. Over 70 million people have so far seen his documentary on BBC TV and interview on World Service.
Mike is a people person. His love for travel is buoyed by his genuine love for people and the opportunities that travel affords him to continue to meet new people and to learn about how they live.
Mike also has a profound sense of adventure. He underwent a rare stem cell transplant despite a 50% chance of success or failure and became one of a handful of documented cases of vision restoration in the past 200 years.

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