Stories
Stories
Eric C. Feagler: Against the Odds
When he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1990 with a degree in aerospace engineering, Eric Feagler (MBA 2001) had already been accepted by the Navys elite flight training program. After a brief postgraduation return to his hometown of Denver, Colorado, and the mountains he had come to cherish, Feagler completed pilot training in Pensacola, Florida, graduating at the top of his class.
He then began duty with an aviation squadron based at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, near Seattle. Between the squadrons six-month carrier assignments, its pilots routinely honed their skills by flying among Washingtons majestic Cascade Mountains. We screamed between 8,000-foot peaks often at night and often flying barely 200 feet off the ground, he recalls. Despite the exhilaration of such demanding maneuvers, it was the opportunity to lead others that really captivated Feaglers interest. His favorite assignment was supervising 75 enlisted men responsible for maintaining the electronics and weapons systems. Most aviators are unhappy unless theyre flying, he says. But for me, the pinnacle of my experience was leading others.
Wherever his naval career took him, Feagler retained his passion for the mountains and outdoor life. In 1995, this avocation led to an accident that meant the end of his aviation career and the beginning of an ordeal that would severely test his physical and emotional strength.
During a visit from his brother Chad, the pair went rock climbing on Mt. Erie, not far from the Whidbey Island base. While storing their gear after a successful climb, Feagler lost his footing and plunged one hundred feet down the mountain. The fall broke his back and a dozen ribs, leaving him conscious and coherent, but paralyzed from the chest down. Doctors told him that his chances of walking again were slim. The prediction, however, did little to discourage his determination.
After spending two weeks in a Seattle trauma center, Feagler was airlifted to Denver, where he spent the next eighteen months enduring grueling days of rehabilitation. Although his mobility slowly returned, residual paralysis throughout his legs and trunk prevented him from flying. Realizing that his naval career was over, he reluctantly turned his thoughts to rebuilding his life.
Feagler began a lengthy job search that led him in 1998 to a product management position at CSG Systems International, a Denver software publisher. I realized there that my understanding of economics, finance, and other business disciplines was limited, Feagler notes, explaining his decision to apply to HBS. Earning an MBA seemed the fastest way to get on par with my corporate peers.
Today, Feagler has not only regained his ability to walk, but also stays active sea kayaking and mono-skiing. The accident that changed the course of his life has left him with a new focus. I previously had a tendency to believe that if I could do something, then so could everyone else. The accident made me much more aware of human limitations others and my own.
My hope, he adds, is to use what Ive learned through this ordeal to help others in overcoming similar challenges. Feagler, his wife, Kitty, and their new daughter Charlotte will soon make their home in the Seattle area, where he has accepted a business development position in Microsofts .NET developer tools group.
Post a Comment
Related Stories
-
- 11 Mar 2024
- Skydeck
In Harmony
Re: Michael Kim (MBA 1990); By: Julia Hanna; photograph by Jun Michael Park -
- 01 Mar 2024
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
In Harmony
Re: Michael Kim (MBA 1990); By: Julia Hanna; photographs by Jun Michael Park -
- 01 Mar 2024
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Come Sail Away
Re: Michael Sard (MBA 2018); By: Julia Hanna -
- 01 Mar 2024
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
In My Humble Opinion: Role Model
Re: Salma Qarnain (MBA 2002); By: Julia Hanna
Stories Featuring Eric Feagler
-
- 01 Jun 2001
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Character Studies: The Class of 2001 Graduates
Re: Chris McGuire (MBA 2001); Stephen Moret (MBA 2001); Alejandro Ramirez Magana (MBA 2001); Modupe Akinola (MBA 2001); Leng Lim (MBA 2001); Eric Feagler (MBA 2001)