(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Adventures Out West (AOW), a local tour company has a role model dedicated to a community, not many people may know about or understand. He’s always worked to spread a spirit of adventure while being deaf and facing potential blindness.

Managing Director of Operations at AOW, Scott Graham, was born deaf and blind in one eye, but he never considered himself to have any limitations. However, as a young boy, Graham was always told ‘no.’

“I was told every day, ‘No, you can’t do that. You’re not going to succeed. These are your limits. This is where you should focus your life on and these are the things that you should do,'” Graham stated.

Often feeling isolated and embarrassed, Graham realized there was nobody else who was deaf or knew sign language. He chose to become his own inspiration and now he’s a role model in the community for others who are considered disabled.

“I didn’t listen to any of those things. All I saw was a world of opportunities… I set a goal of having a life, number one, of adventure, but most importantly, having a life to benefit other people… a lot of people, they just give up too easily, and that’s something that I’ve always fought against,” said Graham.

But it wasn’t always easy accepting his conditions.

“I was aware from the time as a little boy that there is a very good possibility that by the time I was in my sixties that I would be completely blind and deaf,” said Graham.

Graham recently discovered he may be going blind in his good eye. He doesn’t know when or if it will actually happen, but if it did, he said he’s comfortable with the truth. Graham now questions if his time is precious.

“I think about that all the time… ‘Do I have limited time to do things?'” Graham wondered. “But to be honest with you, I’m so focused on a day-to-day life of what I can do to improve the lives of others and be a benefit to people and create these magical, world-class experiences for people that I kind of forget about my own self.”

Even if he does fully lose his vision, Graham said he’ll still be able to manage an adventure company, “no problem at all.” Despite the uncertainty, Graham continues making his passion into his mission – empowering others considered to be disabled to be adventurers like himself through AOW.

“Pursue your dream because… if you don’t give up and you’re willing to do everything for it, it will happen,” stated Graham. ” [People] don’t realize that they can be an inspiration to others. They don’t recognize that they can go out and change their life and transform it and do something great not only for themselves but for others.”

Graham added there’s nothing he would want to change about himself since he can take out his hearing aids and enjoy silence whenever he wants.

“If I had the opportunity to hear normally somehow, I don’t know if I’d want it,” said Graham. “I’m so used to being this way, and I can honestly say when I get new hearing aids, it’s overwhelming how much sound I hear…”