Shane Michael Taylor

Location: Waterbury, CT

Challenge: Cerebral Palsy

Website: shanemt.com

Shane Michael Taylor is a remarkable man who has overcome obstacles and transcended physical limitations to become a respected author, musician and motivational speaker. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Shane is living out his life purpose of using his creativeness and enthusiasm to inspire and entertain people through music, books, and lectures to live life to their fullest potential.

Shane's life has been filled with overcoming challenges, knocking down barriers, and defying society's stereotypical expectations.

Regardless of his physical limitations, Shane has always believed in his capability to achieve his dream of becoming a country artist and relentlessly pursued that journey with steadfast dedication and limitless creativity.

His passionate love for life and exploding optimism shines through in his inspirational speaking engagements, which empower and motivate audiences to realize their full potential and to live a more fulfilling life.

A native of Waterbury, Connecticut, Shane was raised in a humble home with a loving family. "My dad worked and my mom stayed home to raise my brother and me. Money was tight but mom and dad gave us the best childhood anyone could ask for." Shane recalls the first time he felt inspired by music. "My mom was a huge fan of music. I can't remember a time when there wasn’t music coming out of our radio. Our local AM station would play a variety of stuff from The Beatles, Elvis and The Eagles to John Denver and Stevie Wonder to Whitney Houston and Billy Joel." Shane also credits his mom with encouraging him to participate in an after school program on a horse farm which became a turning point in his life. “Everyday we would go to the farm and after our work was done taking care of the horses, we would get to ride. One day I got to ride a horse in the opening scene of the farm’s annual horse show to the tune of ‘Standing Outside The Fire’ by Garth Brooks. "The song spoke to me. It was magical".

Shane started to listen to country radio in hope of hearing more songs by Garth, but he quickly found that he could relate to most of the songs. "Country music just resonated with me...I found that most songs were in tune with the lifestyle and values that were such a huge part of my upbringing" It was not long before he discovered a burning desire to write his own lyrics in an attempt to satisfy his new found passion in relation to others and sharing the universal emotions of life.

As Shane became increasingly infatuated with the craft of songwriting, he began to seek feedback on his songs from prominent Nashville songwriters, and was determined to write the best songs possible. I Will Stand, Shane’s debut album, is expected to be released soon, as the culmination of a life long journey to what once was simply a dream. The album blends artistic value from each personal experience with universal themes of life's purest emotions and overcoming obstacles to come out on top. "I'm particularly excited about this project because it is a true rollercoaster ride of emotions that run the gamut from self-destruction to self-acceptance and everything in between."

To introduce himself as an artist, Shane also wrote an audio book detailing the journey that led up to his career as an artist using stories of his personal experiences, which he also discusses in his lectures and keynote addresses. The audio book, entitled Living This Rodeo: A Journey From Fantasy to Reality was recently released. Shane is currently on tour speaking about the book and motivating others through his experiences.

Shane Michael Taylor - "Warrior Cowboy"