Meet Kainoa Spenser of KS Speaking Services and Live Like Kainoa in Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kainoa Spenser.

Kainoa Spenser is an amazing young man who is on a mission to live beyond his circumstances. In May of 2017, his life changed from a normal flight home to a test of survival. Having breathed in and contracted Strep throat he quickly became ill due to the disease mutating into Necrotizing Fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacterium. After one month in a medically induced coma and four months in four different hospitals, Kainoa was released to find the world as he knew it and the future, he dreamt of was now very different. His circumstances left him with two choices: To fight or flight. He was not going to let this detract from his chances of achieving his dreams, rather he has been able to turn it into good for the community. Less than a year out of the hospital, Kainoa has returned to both school and work. Now back at Arizona State, he is excited to be finishing  his degree and serving the people of Arizona through his internship at the office of Governor Ducey. Working with K2 Adventure Travel, he set a goal to join a climbing expedition alongside a team from K2 Adventures Foundation. He did not choose to climb just any mountain, he set his sights on Mount Kosciusko, Australia’s highest peak! On December 14th Kainoa accomplished his first and surely not his last, international summit. His next goal is set, Mount Fuji in Japan in 2022! Kainoa is here to help people living with disabilities through helping find belief in themselves once again.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I learned along my journey in my wheelchair, I came to find out there is no smooth road in this life. And it was through understanding that its the hills, valleys, and struggles that face in life they give us the opportunity to create the person on who we want to become. Now getting myself to that place of understanding took a long time and a lot of work.

For me, one of my biggest struggles who is overcoming my biggest hurdle in life: my mindset. For me, before I even wanted to think about healing my body and getting back to my life; I first had to overcome my own mindset. It was during some of my darkest days in the hospital when hope seemed so far away that I had nowhere to run and had to face my new life. It was truly understanding and accepting that I no longer had legs and fingers, that was one of the hardest struggles for me to get through. It was through the struggle that I had to understand that it is through those bumps or hills in the road that you learn the most about yourself.

KS Speaking Services and Live Like Kainoa – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As I am just getting into the speaking world, I am starting my company, KS Speaking Services. I have been blessed with an incredible community that is wanting and needing to hear about my journey and how this incredible community uplifted not only me but all within it. I wish nothing more but through my speeches to connect with others, open doors for those who need it, speak up for those who don’t have a voice, and at the end of the day see the light turn on in the eye of a person again. Whether it be speaking to corporations, universities, hospital systems, or one of my favorites, my little cousin’s third-grade classroom; all have huge opportunities for impact. Also, I’ve been able to help and partner with local nonprofits such as K2 Adventures Foundation or Mothers Grace to help uplift those in our communities which is truly what it’s about. And moving forward one day, I have the goal of owning and operating my own nonprofit that serves those within the disability community and hopes to see barriers erased. One of my favorite parts about speaking is been able to see people start to believe in themselves and to hear people talk about the incredible dreams that they have for their lives and how they’re going to achieve them.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
One of the moments where I felt most proud was that I was being wheeled out of my final hospital. After 3 ½ months of living inside three different hospitals, the feel of fresh air on my face and to be able to go home back to my bed felt like nothing I’ve experienced before. Being able to see the joy in my family faces and to be back at home just having dinner with them was one of my most proud moments I will always remember and treasure. On a different note, another one of my most proud moments was being able and having the privilege to summit Mount Kosciusko in Australia. There is no other feeling then after climbing one of the seven summits of the world, standing on top of the mountain as a quadruple amputee who is told he was never going to walk again, that forever shifted me into a place of gratitude and passion to help.

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