Brad was raised in a small town in Northwestern Ohio. At the age of 17, he was a successful student-athlete with a promising future - he starred on his high school’s football, basketball and baseball teams. When a tragic workplace accident caused him to lose both of his hands, he thought his career as an athlete would be over.

Brad was working in a factory when his accident occurred. Due to a faulty safety sensor, he had both of his forearms caught beneath a heavy-duty power press. Tragically, both hands were instantly amputated. Brad was lucky to survive but found himself facing a difficult road to recovery. As an athlete, his worst fear was that he would never be able to play sports again.

Fortunately, Brad kept a positive outlook. He held his head high and was able to get back out on the field. In his final year of high school, Brad Hurtig went on to lead his varsity football team’s defense. He recorded an astonishing 111 tackles in one season and received all-state honors. It wasn’t long before word of his amazing recovery and athleticism got out - soon people around the world were inspired by his story.

Brad credits a mantra taught to him by his high school coach for his resilience. One day, not long after his accident, during a hot and difficult afternoon training, his coach threw his water bottle onto the grass and told him, “if you're thirsty enough, you will find a way.” And just like that, Brad found a way. From that point on, his goal was to find a way to succeed despite his challenges. He even learned how to swing a bat again, as well as how to drive, eat, write, and care for himself.

Today, Brad strives to find a way to prevent any more workplace accidents like his from happening. As a corporate speaker, he travels around the country, assisting companies with their safety trainings and discussing the importance of workplace safety. Even though he was able to make incredible progress after his injury, Brad never should have had to lose his hands – and he wants to make sure that no one else has to find a way to live normally the way he has had to. By inspiring and educating companies on workplace ethics and safety, Brad is working hard to find a way to lower the rates of workplace accidents.