Brian Walker, the Rocket Guy, first splashed across national and international headlines in June 2000 with his ambitious plan to be the first civilian to ever blast himself into space. A self-made millionaire, he was the inventor of the uber-popular Light Chaser toy which any kid who has ever visited DisneyWorld has brandished about with glee.
But Brian’s success had not been easy to come by. His struggles and the ups and downs he faced in life may well have discouraged a lesser man. But Brian has forever been an optimist and a dreamer. It had always been his dreams that buoyed him back to the top, when all else seemed to be failing around him. His story is one of hope and perseverance and of never letting go of your dreams.
In a time before ADHD, dyslexia, and manic depression had yet to be diagnosed, Brian’s inability to succeed in school made him an object of ridicule and scorn, a student “who would never get anywhere.” But even at a young age, he never accepted the notion of “can’t.” He protected himself from “real world failures” by creating his own world of fanciful ideas, space adventures, and outlandish inventions—a world of limitless possibilities in the corridors of his imagination. He often found himself isolated and alone as those around him simply could not see through his eyes. He dropped out of college and had difficulty holding down a “real” job. But he was still determined to succeed. Nevertheless his early years were characterized by big dreams and high hopes, followed by bouts of severe depression.
He fashioned himself as an inventor, creating masterful prototypes which time and again he was unable to obtain funding for. Finally, after focusing his skills on the toy industry, his Light Chaser invention became one of Disney’s best selling toys in history. Finally, Brian was free to pursue his biggest dream of all: launching himself into space. Riding high on the rocket of fame and fortune, and living in a depression free zone for five years, he couldn’t imagine life being much better.
He traveled to Russia to train with cosmonauts at Star City, determined to make his most precious dream of all a reality. While there, he met and fell in love with a beautiful Russian woman. They wed and he brought her and her son back to his home in Oregon, where he was building his rocket prototype. The stars seemed to have finally aligned. But disaster was just around the corner.
Two months later after their arrival in the US, he discovered the marriage was nothing more than a plot to defraud him. With his hopes and dreams of finally having a family, crushed, he began a downward spiral into the cold darkness of depression, a hopeless place where he languished for nearly four years. His outgoing, gregarious and larger-than-life persona had morphed into that of an introverted hermit, rarely leaving his self imposed exile on his property.
Finally, in 2007, armed with new dreams and goals, he has returned to the land of the inspired. Rocket Guy is an inspirational story of hope and victory—a testament to the human spirit and how we can overcome disorders and disabilities in the face of all odds. It is an illustration of how an individual can succeed and excel in a world were “normal” is the status quo. |
