Janine Shepherd’s story reads like the plot of a Hollywood movie. An Australian national champion skier in training for the upcoming Olympics, she was hit by a truck on a bike ride, suffering multiple life-threatening injuries.
Doctors warned her parents that, even if she lived, Janine would never walk again. After major spinal surgery, and five months immobilized in a hospital bed, Janine came home to heal. She faced a daunting recovery and an uncertain future.
Struggling to rehabilitate with permanent disabilities, Janine rekindled her defiant spirit in a dramatically improbable way. Seeing a small plane fly overhead one day, she declared, “That’s it! If I can’t walk, I’ll fly!”
Janine went on to succeed not only as a commercial pilot and flight instructor but also to attain her University degree, raise three children and author a best-selling book, “Never Tell Me Never.” Her memoir was subsequently made into a feature length film of the same title.
In Janine’s latest book, “Defiant”, she shares with candor and compassion, the practical lessons she has learned throughout her continuing journey. “Defiant” offers hope and encouragement for anyone facing a life challenge, sharing the author’s hard-won wisdom and priceless advice for navigating one’s way from loss to healing.
Today, Janine Shepherd is an internationally renowned speaker whose inspiring TED talk, “A Broken Body Isn’t a Broken Person.” has garnered over 1.5 million views. She’s been featured on 60 Minutes, This is Your Life, and most recently on CNN's Turning Point with Sanjay Gupta. She has also been recognized with her country’s highest honor, The Order of Australia.
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