The author presents illustrated profiles of eight young athletes from the Chicago area--Rob Komosa, Travis Hearn, Steve Herbst, JJ O'Connor, Neal Goss, Rocky Clark, Mike Schwass and Kenneth Jennings--and their individual journeys and perspectives after football and hockey injuries left each paralyzed, followed by twelve life lessons on resilience, gleaned by the author from observing these athletes and the work of the Gridiron Alliance, and from his own life experiences.