Jay Ruckelshaus broke his neck, almost died, and still can't use his hands. Here's how he fought back to win one of the world's top scholarships.
After this interview, Jay Ruckelshaus asks that his story isn't "cast in a tragedy narrative".
He doesn't want it to be too Hollywood, too sentimental, too saccharine.
"I just have an uncomfortable relationship with inspiration," he says.
So this article starts with the facts, unvarnished.
Short presentational grey line
Jay grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States' Mid-West.
At school, Jay ran cross-country, swam, and rowed. He spoke fluent French, played the piano, was part of academic teams and worked in student government.
"I always enjoyed being extremely active," he says.
He won a full scholarship to Duke - a top-ranking university, 600 miles (965km) away in North Carolina - and left high school as a co-valedictorian (an honour for high-achieving students).
Then, in the summer before university, he dived into a reservoir, misjudged the water's depth, and broke his neck.
Jay was on a ventilator for around two months. He had a collapsed lung, couldn't move anything from the neck down, and almost died.