ABOUT
Ron Bachman was born on July 19, 1957 to Robert and Sally Bachman, an ordinary couple raising a family in the 1950’s. At the age of four, his parents made the decision to amputate his deformed legs. At an age when other children learned to walk on their legs, Ron learned to walk on his hands. Soon after the amputations, Ron was fitted with artificial legs that he wore while at school. At the age of 18 he threw away the legs and decided to live life on his terms. Far from being depressed by this, Ron was delighted! Now he could move faster, climb higher.
Even as a little kid in northwest Detroit, Ron had “places to go and people to see.” He loved life and encountered it with joy and gusto. He quickly learned how to live a normal life despite his circumstances and the world’s baffled stares and often-cruel remarks.
Ron has two brothers, Bill and Bob, both born perfectly “normal”. Being only 18 months younger, Ron’s brother Bill was more like a twin than a kid brother. When Ron couldn’t reach something, Bill lifted him up. When Ron couldn’t pedal a bike, Bill rode him on his handle bars.
His mother Sally called him “the mouth” because Ron talked a lot. That gift of gab has carried him through life during difficult and challenging situations.
“I came from a family where there was no whining,” laughs Ron. “Today, everything’s a pity party, but my folks were fantastic. They literally told me that this was my lot in life, that indeed it was a terrible thing, but it could be worse and to get outside and find some friends. And that’s exactly what I did. I was very blessed to have a lot of friends at a very early age.”
Ron went to Oakman School for the Handicapped during Elementary and Junior High School. From there he attended Cody High School in Detroit, MI. Shortly after high school, Ron began working at different companies such as General Motors and Burroughs Corporation.
In 1979, Ron married and in 1980 his daughter, Alicia Marie was born. After four years of marriage, Ron and his wife decided to call it quits and Ron was faced with the challenge to win custody of his daughter. The success in the courtroom started a new chapter for Ron as a single Dad. While watching his daughter blossom and grow, Ron tapped into his own childhood dream of working in broadcasting.
In 1988 he enrolled in the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts where he learned radio and television broadcasting. Upon graduation he worked at a number of different radio stations throughout SE Michigan.
A documentary film made about his life was released in 1998 which got him out speaking to young people throughout Michigan. Never before did he think that he would ever intentionally face kids because of the taunting and teasing he experienced at the hand of other children. The larger the audience became, the bigger the impact he had on their lives. So today he continues to speak at schools and corporations across the country on issues related to personal growth and diversity by telling his story of triumph.