Gary Weiland
Born:
Connection to Illinois: Weiland is from Quincy and attended Western Illinois University in Macomb. Biography: Gary Weiland is an Author, Motivational Speaker, Amputee, American Ninja Warrior, and a USA Para Athlete - USA ParaBeach Volleyball Team and ParaBoblsled Team. Weiland has been a firefighter since 2011. He had a series of unfortunate events happen in 2018 which caused his leg to be amputated. It was a very difficult time in his life but through his family, friends, faith, and fortitude, he was able to get back to full duty firefighting without any restrictions in 2019. Since then, he's been speaking at schools about overcoming obstacles and challenges in life and how to Never Give Up no matter what. He's competed on the TV show "American Ninja Warrior" twice and made history as the only amputee to advance to the Semi-Finals! He's also had the opportunity to be on the U.S. ParaBobsled Team and he won the National Championship in March of 2023! Weiland just published his first children's book (K-6th) called Fischer's Accident. It is about a firefighter who gets injured on the job and his leg gets amputated. He gets a prosthetic leg and learns how to walk, run, and eventually gets back to firefighting. It is actually the 1st book in a 5-book series. Book 2 is called Fischer Finds a Friend. Fischer meets and adopts a 3-legged puppy and names her Stitch. They seem to have something in common. In books 3,4 and 5, Fischer and Stitch go on different adventures together where Fischer teaches Stitch (and the readers) all about fire safety, how to act during emergencies, and many other life lessons. The purpose of this series is 2-fold. First, Weiland wants the young readers to see that the main character in a book may not look like everyone else and that's ok! Our differences are what make us human. Second, the message to the older readers is that no matter what happens to you in life, you can Adapt and Overcome! Never give up. If you put your mind to something, anything is possible. He knows from experience. :) Since this book has been published, he has had numerous teachers reach out to him and ask him to read his book to their class and share his story a little bit and how to overcome obstacles and challenges in life. He absolutely loves it! This is the vision he had for this series and it is coming true. Never give up. Keep moving forward. Adapt and Overcome!
Awards:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gary.weiland.94
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gary_weiland/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-weiland-29a38428/
Web: https://garyweiland.com/
WorldCat: http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Gary++Weiland
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrmmJ57yskCkUPz3BYmeemg
Selected Titles
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Fischer and Stitch Go Camping ISBN: B0B3F4Y5QP OCLC: Self Published 2022 Fischer and Stitch Go Camping is the third book in this series. Fischer and Stitch have created a bond and now they want to explore the great outdoors! Fischer teaches Stitch about Fire Safety while they're having fun at the lake and using their imagination to create fun images out of the stars. This is only the beginning of their adventures together. |
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Fischer and Stitch Go to the Circus ISBN: B0BBXX9NXS OCLC: Self Published 2022 Fischer and Stitch Go to the Circus is the fourth book in this series. Stitch is really learning what it's like to be a firefighter and having fun doing it! She might even become a fire rescue dog...I guess we'll have to wait and see. |
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Fischer and Stitch Rescue a Construction Worker ISBN: B0BQXY2RNN OCLC: Self Published 2022 Fischer and Stitch Rescue a Construction Worker is the fifth book in this series. Stitch has really become a member of the fire family. She’s excited to learn about how firefighters use different tools and knots for different situations. This series has shown that no matter what someone looks like or what tragedy they face, they can absolutely overcome any obstacle, as long as they keep moving forward and never give up. Be on the look-out for Fischer and Stitch’s next adventure…in a comic book series! Fischer and Stitch Rescue a Construction Worker is the fifth book in this series. Stitch has really become a member of the fire family. She’s excited to learn about how firefighters use different tools and knots for different situations. This series has shown that no matter what someone looks like or what tragedy they face, they can absolutely overcome any obstacle, as long as they keep moving forward and never give up. Be on the look-out for Fischer and Stitch’s next adventure…in a comic book series! |
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Fischer Finds a Friend ISBN: B09YRMJCMN OCLC: Self Published 2022 Fischer Finds a Friend is the second children’s book that Gary has written. It is a story about showing love to everyone, no matter what they look like. Fischer is an amputee firefighter and he meets and adopts a three-legged puppy. He names her Stitch and soon realizes that she might look a little different but she can do everything that a puppy with four legs can do. Fischer and Stitch are going to have some fun adventures together! |
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Fischer's Accident ISBN: B09SNQ9SRC OCLC: Self Published 2022 Fischer's Accident is a story about overcoming adversity. Fischer is a firefighter and has an accident at work that changes his life forever. His leg gets amputated. He has a choice to make. He can quit being a firefighter or he can work really hard and overcome the biggest challenge of his life. The author, Gary Weiland, is a firefighter in Texas. He is also a husband, a father of 4, and an amputee. Gary was a firefighter for 7 years when he experienced a series of very unfortunate events. His leg was amputated just below his knee. Gary decided that this tragedy was not going to end his career and passion for fighting fire. 10 months and 6 days after his amputation, he was back on the fire truck, full-duty, no restrictions. Gary’s faith, family, and fortitude were the driving factors in getting back to being a firefighter. Now he is on a mission to show the world that no matter what happens to you, you can Adapt and Overcome! Since his amputation, Gary has been honored with the ServPro First Responder of the Year Award as well as the Chief’s Distinction Award given to him by his Fire Chief. Gary is also a member of the USA Sitting Volleyball High Performance Team and the USA ParaBeach Volleyball Team. Gary also travels the country speaking at schools, churches, and business conferences. He brings a message of hope and perseverance to all in attendance. Gary would be honored to speak at your event. |