If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while you know that we really are committed to bringing you content that is rich and also diverse, and one topic we have never covered is dating with a disability! So today we are bringing you a beautiful and inspiring conversation around that topic… you are going to just love our guests!

Years ago Chris Norton suffered a spinal cord injury while playing football at Luther College. The doctors gave Chris a 3% chance of moving anything below his neck again. Four years later, he defied the odds and walked across stage at his college graduation with his fiancé, Emily Summers. The video went viral twice and garnered 300 million+ views, and caught the eye of the country’s top media outlets (Good Morning, America, TodayShow.com, NBC Nightly News, CBS, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, etc.). Three years later, Chris attempted another incredible feat – this time, perhaps the most important walk of his life - down the aisle with his wife, Emily. As with his Graduation Walk, Chris prepared relentlessly, spending four hours per day in the gym. Chris and Emily joyfully conquered the challenge – and walked seven yards down the aisle after their wedding ceremony.

Today Chris Norton is a well-respected motivational speaker and speaks at numerous events across the country. Chris’s message focuses on the fact that we all face challenges, but our circumstances don’t define us – we do.

Earlier in 2019, Chris and his amazing wife Emily Norton released a book The Seven Longest Yards on Jwith the foreword written by Tim Tebow; and a feature documentary about his story titled, 7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story, is expected to debut this year in 2020. Chris created the Chris Norton Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with spinal cord and neuromuscular disabilities by providing opportunities that would not otherwise exist. Chris and Emily have adopted five amazing girls, a 20-year-old and a sibling group of four sisters (ages 10, 9, 6, & 3), and have fostered a total of 18 children. They are both deeply committed to providing a safe, loving home for children in need….

I mean friends, they are just such a stellar couple! We really wanted Emily and Chris to come on the podcast because dating can be so inward focused, and in an age of the hookup culture and so much consumeristic mindsets, we just love how selfless Emily and Chris pushed passed physical challenges and are truly living in their mission together.

Some themes of today’s conversation:
-Dating with a disability
-Being more open-minded in dating
-Battling and conquering insecurity
-Radically changing your mindset

PS. Have you tried therapy or been wanting to try it? We recommend if you’ve ever considered it to try out the incredible Christian based therapy through Faithful Counseling. Not only is it easier to access that traditional offline therapy, but it is also more affordable.

And to make it even better, you can get 10% off your first month when you join through Heart of Dating! Visit getfaithful.com/heartofdating to learn more!