A former North Rockland High School teacher who is in a wheelchair as the result of a devastating surfing accident a decade ago is now a best-selling author on Amazon.
Billy Keenan chronicles his life in “The Road to Resilience. The Billy Keenan Story.” Keenan shares about different times in his life when he served as an Army lieutenant, musician, teacher and now as a motivational speaker after his accident.
“I had everything going for me,” said Keenan. “I stood up and fell off my board and was instantly paralyzed.”
Keenan never let his diagnosis as quadriplegic stop him from living, something he touches on at length in the book.
“I found peace and the peace became strength,” said Keenan.
The author made headlines in 2016 when he briefly went back to work, and then again in 2021 after his divorce when he almost lost his home. He says he hopes his story of perseverance despite multiple hardships serves as an inspiration to readers.
“I wrote it to show people that it’s possible not just to survive but to thrive,” said Keenan. “Just keep finding a way to go forward. That’s what I want to bring to the world.”
Keenan dictated the book from his home in New City and is currently working on two more.