022: Rebuilding Life After Paralysis: “No Plan B, Why Not?” — Kenneth Kunken

In this episode of Our Courage to Heal, I’m honoured to speak with Kenneth Kunken, author of I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story (published 2023).

At 20, Ken broke his neck in a college football game and became almost totally paralysed from the shoulders down. What followed was a life shaped by courage, gratitude, and a quiet inner decision to keep going — from returning to Cornell before accessibility was common, to building a 40-year career in law, to becoming a husband and father.

We explore what it felt like when reality finally sank in, the emotional weight of dependence, and the inner dialogue that helped Ken move through fear and discouragement. At the heart of his story is a simple question: “Why not?” — and a mindset of “No plan B.”

Guest links

Ken Kunken website: https://kenkunken.com/

Memoir

I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story (2023)

For listeners outside the US or Canada

The Kindle version is available via Amazon.com (US site) (not regional sites like Amazon.eu / Amazon.pl):

https://a.co/d/1t1UWIN