WHAT'S YOUR

PURPOSE?

WOULD YOU KAYAK THE WHOLE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FOR THE RIGHT CAUSE?

Hector is! Discover what makes Hector so different!

Born and raised in a small village in El Salvador, Hector Manley enjoyed a typical childhood. In 2001, one of the largest earthquakes in the country’s history shook El Salvador. Hector was playing near a ravine where garbage was burning, and as the ground shook, he fell into the burning ravine.

He suffered third degree burns in 70% of his body, resulting in the amputation of both his legs. After spending four months at a child’s hospital in San Salvador, he met a group of Rotarians who brought him to the United States for further medical treatment and prosthetic legs.

Today, eleven years later, Hector attends the University of Tampa and will graduate in May of 2012. As an avid golfer, he has introduced many children to the game of golf through the First Tee Foundation and has been featured in Golf Digest Magazine. Hector has a passion for adventure; being a double amputee has not stopped him from skydiving, scuba diving, hang gliding, or white water rafting. Hector sets high goals and works hard to achieve them.

In the summer of 2012, he plans to kayak the Mississippi River from its source in Minnesota to its mouth in New Orleans in a fundraising campaign entitled, Paddling for a Purpose. The trip is approximately 2400 miles, a feat he plans to accomplish in 100 days. Hector’s goal through this trip is to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project as well as the Wheelchair Foundation. Many of his future plans involve helping people in need around the world – Hector views this trip as just the beginning of his charitable works.

He plans on writing a book about his life and undertaking the mighty Mississippi river in hopes of inspiring other live lives of adventure. Hector believes that only your mentality can limit what you can accomplish.