Meet Mo Gerhardt

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mo Gerhardt.  

Hi Mo, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Well, my story is anything but brief lol. I was born in 1977 in Traverse City, MI. I have one older brother, and both my parents were public school teachers, now retired. It was actually my brother that game me the name “Mo”. My real name is Matthew but when I came home from the hospital from being born, he couldn’t pronounce Matthew and instead said “Matt-Mo”. My parents liked Mo so it stuck and to this day I hardly react when I hear the name Matthew. 

At 8 years of age, I was diagnosed with a form of Muscular Dystrophy, and my parents and I were told that I would be lucky to live into my twenties. I’ll turn 46 this year! My family has been my biggest supporter from the very beginning. They never let me just settle and not put my best effort into everything. I never remember hearing my brother complain while we were growing up that I couldn’t do the same physical things that most brothers do together. That’s always been huge in my mind. 

I was waling up until the end of my junior year in high school. Doctors expected me to be in a wheelchair before the end of elementary school. I had a bad fall and broke my femur, and that was the end of my days walking. At the time, I didn’t think this, but now looking back, I’m glad it happened the way it did. At the time of my fall, doctors and therapists were trying to get me to use a wheelchair as my balance and strength had really depleted. By falling and breaking my femur, I didn’t have to make the conscious decision to use a wheelchair. All of a sudden, the choice was made for me. Psychologically I know I never wanted to say I was ready to use a wheelchair leading up to that moment. 

Going to college was the toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life but by far the most important factor in allowing me to accomplish all that I have in my life. Up to that point in my life, my parents had been the only ones to help me with my physical care. Moving away from home was crazy in lots of people’s opinions, but thankfully my family supported me in my decision. I graduated in four years with a degree in business administration. From there, I went straight into grad school and received my master’s degree two years later in athletic administration. 

After receiving my master’s degree, I was offered a full-time position as an academic advisor at Michigan State University. I accepted the job and the started the wheels in motion for my professional career. I worked my first five years for the Office of Supportive Services. Following that role, I received a promotion and was hired through the College of Natural Science to be the academic advisor for all pre-professional health students i.e., premed, predental, prePT, etc. I was also given the responsibilities as the Student-Athlete liaison. So basically, any varsity athlete on campus that was majoring through the College of Natural Sciences, I was their academic coordinator responsible for maintaining eligibility requirements. Through that role, it opened some other doors for me as I became very attached to the women’s basketball team. I actually got the job to be the radio analysist for the women’s basketball team broadcasts. I was on the radio calling their games for approximately 7 seasons. 

My life took a drastic change in July of 2019. I went into respiratory failure and nearly died. Fortunately, my life was saved by the McLaren Emergency Department. I ended up being in ICU for over two weeks. Once stable to be discharged from ICU I was placed in the Long-Term Acute Care L-TAC unit. I was in the hospital for five months, nearly dying a total of three different times. After 149 days I was discharged and able to come home. My life was totally different though. I had to have a tracheostomy, and I used a ventilator to assist my breathing. I also require 24-hour nursing supervision due to the event. I had to retire from my career from MSU and am now on long-term disability. 

I published my own memoir a while back entitled “Perspective From An Electric Chair”. I continue to receive positive feedback from that book from people. It never took off on the national level like I hoped it would, as does every author, but it did received recognition on some best sellers lists within the state of Michigan. I still dream that one of these days it will be picked up by a national publisher! 

After having to go on long-term disability, I started to volunteer with the MSU Women’s basketball program again. They actually gave me the title of Volunteer Coordinator of Academics and Life Mentor. It was one of the best experiences of my life as I gained to friendships that will be with me forever. That position just ended within the last month+ as the head coach, Suzy Merchant, retired, and the new coach that was hired brought in her own new staff. 

My girlfriend, who I met as a result of being in the hospital, is a nurse. We’ve been together as a couple now for over two years. She is absolutely the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t say enough about her and all that she has added to my life. Unlike lots of guys, growing up my dream was to get married and start a family. Although that specific dream never materialized, my girlfriend does have two daughters from a previous marriage and they have added a joy in my life I thought had passed and I’d never experience. 

Last year my girlfriend and I opened our own personal sports cards business. It’s called JaM Sportcards LLC. (JaM meaning Jennifer and Mo) It’s out of our house and we just deal with high-end cards. It’s a dream in so many ways as not only is it within sports cards, but I actually own a business with my girlfriend. How cool is that?!? 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ha, definitely not a smooth road! As mentioned in the previous question, there have been many bumps along the way in my life. I’ve honestly hardly even touched on them all. From being discriminated as a person with a disability to medical scares, nothing has been easy for me. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
There really isn’t one category to place my professional life into. It truly crosses so many different platforms and realms. As mentioned, I worked in education for 15 years. I was in broadcasting for just under 10 years. I’ve authored a book. I currently co-own a sports card business with my girlfriend. I loved my career in advising as I was really able to connect with students and get into their worlds. I loved the trust I was able to build with students and how they would share intimate details of their lives with me. As a broadcaster, I was able to express my knowledge of sports and gain a true following of listeners. On the radio, most people didn’t know that I had a physical disability. It was nice being able to make my own impression on people based off of my talent rather than my wheelchair making the first impression. After being in the hospital for five months and ultimately having to go on long-term disability and retire, it would have been very easy to just give up at that point in my life and not strive for any other new accomplishments. Instead, I looked for new opportunities and was able spend a lot of time volunteering and making some lifelong friendships. Most recently I started a new business with my girlfriend. I’ve never been one to just cross days off on a calendar waiting for the end to come. Doctors said I should be dead 25 years ago. Thing of all the things I would have never experienced or accomplished had I listened to them. I have tattooed on my leg, “It’s not he diagnosis that determines your outcome.” It’s become my life’s battle cry. 

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Just about everything in my life has been a risk. Growing up, I never had any mentors to look up to or learn from that had disabilities. The disability community is one that gets put in a closet a lot and doesn’t get talked about. My biggest risk ended up as my biggest gain. Going away to college and having to learn how to cope and literally survive on my own made everything else in my life seem reachable. It wasn’t a risk taken without preparation though. I am very meticulous in my research and being ready for whatever comes my way. Like I said, I didn’t have a mentor or someone whose path I could follow or emulate. I’ve made my own untraveled path my whole life. I take pride in that and hope that I can make that path more clear for those growing with disabilities today. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mogerhardt.com
• Instagram: @mofoxgerhardt @jamsportcardsllc
• Facebook: facebook.com/gerhard4 (Mo Gerhardt) facebook.com/jamsportcardsllc
• Twitter: @mogerhardt @jamcardsllc
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Perspective-Electric-Chair-Mo-Gerhardt/dp/1467036129