In a split second, Connor McKemey went from being an active, athletic thirteen-year-old whose life revolved around school, sports, and family, to being engulfed in flames from a propane tank explosion in his backyard. Passing out in the ambulance, he woke up three months later to discover that 90 percent of his body had been burned.

Defying the grim 1 percent chance of survival doctors gave him, the young teen tapped into his inner strength to rebuild his life. From coming to grips with what happened-and his drastically changed appearance-to coping with the pain of rehabilitation and over a hundred surgeries, he faced adversity without losing sight of his dreams.

Through mental resilience, he resumed playing sports in high school and college and became a coach for an elite lacrosse program. Today, McKemey gives talks to audiences worldwide, showing others that they, too, can come through excruciating challenges with a profound sense of self-acceptance.