It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness. Lucius Seneca
Jim Knaub (1956-2024) – Tall Poppy with a Cause
The Awakening Slave
The Awakening Slave was part of a recent blog and is worth repeating because of its remarkable relevance. Mr. Knaub became a complete paraplegic at the age of 22. He spent the rest of his life breaking free from his physical limitations.
The Awakening Slave sculpture by Michelangelo powerfully represents the human struggle to break free from physical and spiritual constraints. Created around 1525-1530, this 2.67m high marble statue depicts a figure seemingly emerging from the stone, symbolizing the eternal battle of the human spirit to liberate itself from material limitations.
The sculpture’s unfinished state, known as “non-finito,” is believed to be intentional, serving as a metaphor for the ongoing process of self-liberation. The figure’s dynamic pose, with its twisted body and strained muscles, conveys a sense of immense effort and latent power as if the slave is on the verge of breaking free from its marble prison.
This work is part of a series of “Prisoners” or “Slaves” sculptures originally intended for Pope Julius II’s tomb. The incomplete nature of the piece aligns with Michelangelo’s belief that a sculptor’s role was to reveal the figures already contained within the marble, rather than to create them anew.
Themes include the struggle between spirit and matter; the human desire for freedom; and the process of self-realization and emergence. It serves as a profound meditation on the human condition, capturing the eternal striving of individuals to overcome their limitations and realize their full potential.
Jim Knaub
James William Knaub (January 5, 1956 – November 17, 2024) was an athlete and actor who led a remarkable life marked by resilience and achievement. Born in Corona, California, Knaub excelled as a pole vaulter, reaching the semifinals of the 1976 Olympic Trials.
His athletic career took a dramatic turn in 1978 when he was stuck on his motorcycle by a car while stopped at a traffic light leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. About a year later Jim sat in a sports wheelchair. It fits like a hand in a glove. He was off to the races, at that time when they were nascent.
Knaub embraced wheelchair racing and became a dominant force in the sport. In the 1990s, he won the Boston Marathon five times, setting world records and holding records in every race distance from 5,000 meters to the marathon. He also won the Los Angeles Marathon three times, the Paris Marathon twice, and the Long Beach Marathon, his adopted hometown, eleven times.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Knaub pursued an acting career, appearing in popular television shows such as “The Fall Guy,” “Airwolf,” and “The A-Team”. He was known for bringing a dynamic personality and flair to wheelchair racing, helping to increase media coverage and public interest in the sport.
Knaub’s impact extended beyond his accomplishments. He was recognized as a motivating force for other individuals with paralysis, inspiring them to reengage with life after trauma.
My short biography is factual but does not capture the essence of his persona. Nor does it characterize his many trials and tribulations which were often daunting.
Jim received his rehabilitation at a hospital where I was a young staff member and would eventually become the Chief of its Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Service. He completed his rehabilitation in record time and discharged himself.
He occasionally drifted into my private office for one of the myriad orthopedic consequences of SCI. Jim was handsome, and intense, and took no prisoners. He did not like authority which kept our visits limited and professional.
When he wheeled into the room, you could feel his power, and witness the beauty in the push of his wheelchair as they were one. His “wheelies” were legendary. The following article speaks to the man and is how I prefer to remember Jim.
New Mobility magazine article by Jean Dobbs, May 1996
RIP JIM.
Your courageous, decorated, inspirational, and steadfast slog is finished.
