Tyrone Shoemake’s story is one that will leave you speechless. According to The Trace, a bullet severed Shoemake’s spine after a neighborhood dispute, leaving him paralyzed. In 2006, Shoemake was indicted for dealing crack-cocaine, and was given a 7-year sentence that would change his life. There, he began to find a life for himself assisting other inmates in wheelchairs get acclimated to prison life. Immediately after his release, he created a Facebook page using his alias, Upper Body Boy, a moniker he made up while in prison.
The “Upper Body Boy” began growing a following as the video of his workout routine above went viral. The video shows Shoemaker climbing up a broken swing set, busting out 15 pullups, and descending back down just as effortlessly as he went up. The clip found its way through the internet, and has since been viewed over 10 million times. Shoemaker has continually posted his workouts on his Facebook page, and has not stopped inspiring his fans.
As for his criminal ways, Shoemaker says, “I just changed everything, everything-the way I think, the way I move, who I hang with, all of that.” Now the 38-year old, uses his Facebook platform to “give motivation, inspiration, and determination to the people that feel life is over being in a wheelchair.”
For more on the “Upper Body Boy” and his story, check out this video from The Trace below:
