A motivational speaker, Mark became a C5 quadriplegic in a lifeguarding accident when he was 24. As an avid outdoorsman (before and since his paralysis), Mark innovates to remain engaged with nature in his beloved Ozarks: on trails, in hunting stands, and on the water with a fishing pole. He founded Ozark Wheelchair Adventures to provide immersive outdoor experiences for people in wheelchairs. Mark has also served on numerous boards for hospitals and disability empowerment nonprofits. He’s endlessly inspired by Joseph (Genesis 37, 39–45), who did not stop moving forward in his calling, no matter what had been taken from him, and regardless of how long he waited. Mark’s message: You can keep going with what you have, where you are. God’s not holding out on you.

 

Mark has shared his story of living with a spinal cord injury throughout the CoxHealth and Mercy hospital systems and in high schools, universities, and churches in Missouri and Wisconsin. He has released two autobiographical videos shot in two of his favorite places to be on the water: the many lakes of the Ozarks and in Green Bay and Lake Michigan off the coasts of Door County, Wisconsin.

For 17 years, Sara Forhetz delivered the bad news in television journalism as a crime and courts reporter, until God called her to deliver the Good News. An Emmy-winning journalist covering crime and headlines, she thought she had her life mapped out. But behind the camera, God was writing a different story.

At 25, Sara was a self-described rebel without a cause, until she started attending church with her now-husband, Ethan. There, she realized something was missing: “I was trying to do life my own way, never realizing that God’s plans were so much better. I entered into a relationship with Jesus and surrendered to His way— His Lordship.”

“If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!” (John 8:36) —and Sara took hold.

With a microphone already in hand, God repurposed her voice, not for ratings, but for His Kingdom. She dove deep into Scripture, reading, studying, and growing in her faith. Seven years later, she received her first invitation to speak at a church. Sara now shares the Gospel at over 70 events a year, inspiring others to live their faith out loud. Sara’s background in journalism gave her a platform, but her heart for Jesus gave her a purpose.