Featured Athlete: Chad Crittenden

Before deciding to apply for CBS’ hit TV show Survivor, Chad Crittenden was a bilingual teacher, competitive soccer player, MTB competitor, and casual triathlete. What eventually prompted him to apply for the reality show was a diagnosis of Synovial Sarcoma, a rare and deadly form of cancer which produced a tumor on his foot. The treatment called for drastic surgery to remove his right foot, which eventually saved his life.

After the surgery and subsequent quick recovery, Chad became a Challenged Athlete and completed a sprint distance triathlon after 9 months. He then went on to excel on Survivor, revealing after 2 days that he indeed had a prosthetic foot, unbeknownst previously to the other contestants. In the challenges that followed, Chad worked to prove himself, breaking down stereotypes and preconceived notions while inspiring millions.

Since that life-changing experience, Chad has been a stay-at-home Dad, a consultant, and a motivational speaker with his main message revolving around creating the outcomes we want. Among his many motivational speaking achievements are two TEDx talks and keynoting the Positive Thinking Seminar for the Royal Family in Abu Dhabi. Athletic challenges include Xterra races, Wildflower, as well as the summit of Mt. Whitney on the way to a summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro as part of a group ascent of the benefit of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Chad lives in Livermore, California with his wife and two children, and is very thankful for everything that he has. Recently, Chad and his family celebrated his being cancer free for 16 years.