sullivan

I wanted to write about Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan for New Mobility magazine, but my editor, Tim Gilmer, beat me to it. Tim wrote a terrific cover story about Sam.

The City of Vancouver is honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Her Royal Highness The Princess Edward, Countess of Wessex, to City Hall for a special civic visit. His Royal Highness will help raise the Paralympic flag to fly next to the Olympic flag. The Paralympic flag was accepted by His Worship Sam Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver, along with His Worship Ken Melamed, Mayor of the Resort Municipality of Whistler, in Torino at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.

Anyone who has met Sam Sullivan -- not only mayor of the third largest city in Canada, but also a C4-5 quadriplegic from a 1979 skiing injury sustained at the age of 19, a Welfare recipient for seven years, founder of the Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation and a member of the Order of Canada -- would instantly sense his uneasiness at wearing the title, "His Worship." He is soft-spoken and unassuming, a polite man with a boyish smile. His gray-tinged hair imparts an air of respectability, and at times he seems almost shy. Yet hundreds of millions of television viewers watched worldwide as he accepted the Olympic flag from the mayor of Torino, Italy, at the Winter Olympics closing ceremony, and later, the Paralympic flag, waving each from his power wheelchair with the help of a specially-made holster and his trusty joystick.

To say Sullivan's accomplishments are impressive is undeniable, yet what is most remarkable is his personal journey -- from isolation and depression to the pinnacle of municipal power. In the process of rebuilding his life, he created six different nonprofit organizations that have helped thousands of people with disabilities throughout North America. And in becoming mayor of his city in November 2005, he has expanded his civic and political influence tremendously. Sam Sullivan's reach has certainly exceeded his grasp, and he is still reaching.

If you'd like to see how a disability-culture publication approaches Canada's most famous quadriplegic, read on.

Tim also wrote a nice "how I got that story" editorial. If you're interested in how a long magazine feature takes shape, that's found here.

Great stuff. If I couldn't write it, I'm glad Tim did.