Monty K Reed founder of They Shall Walk and LIFESUIT robotic exoskeleton test pilot. An Army Ranger Disabled Veteran who overcame a learning disability as well as physical disabilities to found They Shall Walk. It is one of the FIRST non-profit medical research companies in the world that was not a spin off of an existing profitable venture. In 1986 he was paralyzed from a parachute accident. An incomplete quad, he has recovered most of his functions and most days walks without a cane, bracing or a wheelchair. On bad days he will climb into the LIFSUIT robotic exoskeleton and go for a walk. After two decades of research he has nearly completed the work of making the gift of walking a reality for millions of paralyzed persons who want to walk again.
Monty K Reed at the PMR department, CMC, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
In 1987 Monty K Reed was honorably discharged from the US Army while still in treatment for a broken back. He took a job working for a local convenience store. He laid on the floor because he could not sit or stand for longer than fifteen minutes at a time. He counted the money and did the books for the owner Roger F. who wanted to play golf more than counting the money. Roger F. said “I knew I could trust him, the money always made it to the bank”.
Monty had been told in high school “You do not understand, you are not going to college” In spite of that Monty thought he might take some classes to better himself. North Seattle Community College NSCC www.northseattle.edu testing department determined he had a learning disability that explained a lot about Monty K Reed’s frustration with school growing up. He enrolled and with in a few months was the president of the honors society Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Alpha Epsilon Omega chapter. He even managed to earn a 4.0 in accounting. Algebra and other math still haunts him today so he delegates math to engineers and other scientists.
While at NSCC Monty K Reed held a variety of positions: Student Government Representative, President of the Robotics Club, President of the Chemistry Club, Captain of the Golf team and managing editor of the Literature magazine Licton Springs Review. The 2002 issue one the state prize and the 2003 issue won the national prize.
Monty K Reed had saved enough money to open a retail sporting goods store. In 1990 he purchased a mixed use property in Ballard (Snoose Junction) a community in Seattle Washington full of Norwegians and Swedes. Where he grew the business to include wholesale and mail order. He also invested in rental housing in Ballard.
Little known fact: Monty K Reed started his first business at age 7.
In 1994 Monty K Reed launched a business with Nihon Kenko Zoschin Kenkukia (Japan Health Research Institute). he worked as a recruiter and trainer and traveled all over the USA and Canada. He became very popular and was in demand as a speaker all around the USA and Canada. He was known as the “Basic Horse Wellness Guru”. He sold, tapes, charts and training programs on caring for the cowboys friend.
In 1998 he semi-retired to a 75 acre horse ranch in Monroe, Washington where he rode horses daily and worked as a gentleman rancher three weeks a month and traveled as a consultant and public speaker one week per month.
Just before 9/11 he sold the ranch to help fund They Shall Walk so that he could build the LIFESUIT robotic exoskeletons he had been experimenting with for so many years.
For many years he worked with teams of volunteers, students, and interns in Seattle, Texas, San Francisco, and Vellore India. His primary role is as the visionary and leader for the teams at They Shall Walk. The research lab grew from 200 square foot room NSCC, to a lab at the UW (Washington.edu) to a 10,000 square foot facility in Seattle (Georgetown).
In 2015 the Therapy LIFSUIT research was completed and the research lab in Seattle (Georgetown) was closed down. You can see LIFESUIT technology from 2006 and before being implemented in hospitals today in all major cities. With the research a decade ahead of implementation Monty realized he could take some time off to raise $2 million needed for the development of the home use model, by cooking, teaching, writing and speaking. He is famous for his inspirational talks that make a difference in peoples lives.
Spend any amount of time with him and he will have you believing you can achieve your dreams too.
Monty is In demand as a speaker, trainer and author.
$2500 Book signing (includes 100 copies of Monty’s first book entitled “Get STARTED don’t quit!” GetSTARTED-dontquit.com )
$2500 Openings (for businesses, museums, schools, parks etc..)
$5000 Honorarium. (up to 30 minutes)
$10,000 Keynote (up to 90 minutes)
$25,000 Day doing training or workshops
$42,000 Weekend Retreat or conference
Are you looking for a presentation for a school? Contact us even if you do not have the funds because we may be able to find sponsors to help fund the presentation.
Monty K Reed, founder of They Shall Walk
Mary Gates Scholar
NASA Space Grant Scholar
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