May 6, 2011 | Yvonne Lim Wilson
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Roger Chan, former City of Austin assistant city manager, is running for City Council, Place 1. I had a chance to interview him back in December 2010 following his motorcycle accident that made headlines.
He lost his leg in what he described as “raw, unadulterated torture,” and faced an uncertain future as he had to put his culinary career on hold. And yet, he somehow, he presented this quiet energy, dedication to serve and confidence in his own personal strength. His story of spiritual faith and perseverance is one that continues to inspire.
* (From December 2010) *
Roger Chan remembers vividly the day he lost his leg. He recalled the blue sky, perfect weather as he drove his Indian Spirit motorcycle to volunteer to help feed the needy on Nov. 23.
“It was an extremely glorious day. The only thing unusual was the lack of traffic downtown,” he said.
That’s when he noticed a car swerving into his lane on Cesar Chavez near Lamar Blvd. Chan yelled at the driver, and the next thing he knew, the car pushed him into the curb and he was dragged down the street.
The experience was “raw, unadulterated torture,” Chan told the Austin American Statesman, where his story made the front page.
Since then, there has been an outpouring of support as friends, colleagues and acquaintances have come out to visit and offer assistance to Chan. Chan is still surprised by the attention.
“I only told four people. I thought, who would come? But it got posted on Facebook and it went viral,” he said.
Chan is a very visible and active member of the Asian community in Austin, having served as assistant city manager up until 2003, and he is also a business consultant, actor, chef and frequent volunteer.
2010 was Chan’s year to ramp up his Magic Bus Diner and ease out of his consulting work. As a fifth generation chef, cooking is a great source of joy for Chan. But those plans are on hold now, as Chan must wait up to nine months to be able to heal enough to accept a prosthesis, and then several more months to learn to walk with it.
“Minimally, I lose a year of my life,” he said. “I’ve never not worked, never not been able to provide.”
Chan worries about his mortgage and paying for his sons’ tuition, and smaller worries, like finding a way to walk his dog regularly.
Since the accident, his recovery process has actually brought him more attention to his consulting work.
“Two corporate heads contacted me. They thought if he could go through this, what could he teach me?,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to man up. If I can learn to grow from this, 100 percent of my clients can benefit from this.”
The accident has emphasized that Chan must continue to follow the good life coaching advice he prescribes to his clients.
“I still feel I’m extraordinarily lucky person. I’m excited about the future. This has taken me off course. I will not have my leg ... [but] negative energy guarantees a negative outcome,” he said.
Chan, who calls himself an “accidental Buddhist” credits much of his inner peace to his Buddhist faith.
“You don’t have to have a shaved head or saffron robes to be a monk. It’s how you conduct yourself in the world. You have to live by example,” he said.
Chan is no stranger to drama, as his life has been full of what he describes as “life-changing experiences,” accidents and near-accidents on boats and on the road.
“Life is exactly as it is supposed to be. There are no accidents. Every challenge is your opportunity to grow,” he said.
When asked what can people do to help, Chan immediately answered that people need to be more aware of their surrounding when driving.
“Driving a car is the most dangerous thing you can ever do and they take it so cavelierly. People need to be more mindful and they need to pay attention: cell phones, even radios need to be banned. Cars have become like Lay Z Boys,” he said. “This was preventable.”
To learn more about Roger Chan and his campaign, visit www.rogerchanforaustin.com.
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