Meidl had jackhammered into three buried power lines
that sent approximately 30,000 volts of electricity shooting through him. Meidl suffered three cardiac arrest episodes
in the aftermath and was "gone"
for more than two minutes before medics revived him. That powerful jolt was
enough to kill several men, but somehow Cliff Meidl clung to life. "I
guess I just had more to do in my
life" he recalls.
Meidl
endured a total of 15 surgical procedures in five years and spent more than six
years on crutches while he worked toward rebuilding his life. The accident disintegrated one-third of both
knee joints and severely burned his back and skull. In addition, the accident
nearly forced the amputation of his legs.
However, Meidl was able to save his legs through an innovative surgical
procedure that removed portions of his calf muscles for attachment onto the
remaining knee joints. After Meidl’s
knees had sufficiently healed, he used physical therapy to overcome his
injuries.
At first, Meidl turned to canoeing and kayaking for the
therapeutic value. However, he quickly
excelled in these sports and thrived on his ability to compete with others in
an equal setting. As a result, he threw
himself into an aggressive weight lifting and conditioning regimen that enabled
him to compete at the highest level.
After years of hard work and dedication to his new sport of flatwater
kayaking, Cliff began to make his dream of becoming an Olympian a reality.
In 1995, Meidl won a gold, silver and bronze medal
in his kayaking events at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Denver. As they say, the rest is history. Meidl
made two U.S. Olympic teams, a feat that only fifteen percent of all Olympians
accomplish and, more importantly, he has inspired a nation in the process. Today, the 41-year-old financial analyst is
enjoying his latest challenge--inspiring
audiences. He is now sharing his
inspirational story with diverse audiences all across the U.S.
Meidl has served as the national spokesperson for the Construction Safety Council and has
recorded several national public service announcements and videos featured on
television & radio stations across the United
States.
In addition, Meidl also served as national media spokesperson for the Electrical Safety Foundation International.
Finally, Meidl is the proud recipient of a number of
prestigious awards for courage. He
received the ARETE Award, the Philadelphia Sportswriters’ Courage in Sports
Award and the “Patsy Choco Award” from the Los Angeles Marathon. In 2003, Cliff
was selected as an initial Olympian honoree of the Olympian Heroes series that
features 20 of the most inspirational U.S.
Olympians. Meidl is also involved with
his community as a Board Member at El Camino Community College Foundation and
the USA Canoe & Kayak Team as Sprint Athlete Director & Treasurer. Meidl
has an MBA Degree from the University
of Southern California. This year, Cliff will represent the 2008
Olympic Team as Team Leader for the Sprint Canoe & Kayak Team.