Hickory, N.C. - Bobby McMullen, a gifted extreme athlete from Northern California, will be the special guest speaker as part of Lenoir-Rhyne's "Student-Athlete Appreciation Day" on Wednesday, April 3.

McMullen will speak in Shuford Gymnasium at 10:00 a.m.., with L-R's student-athletes before leading up to the main event at 7:00 p.m., at P.E. Monroe Auditorium.? McMullen will have a question-and-answer session with the audience as well.

McMullen's visit will coincide with the Abilities Arts Awareness Festival taking place on campus throughout the entire week.

McMullen is an extreme athlete from Northern California who remains competitive despite being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 12, the loss of his vision, years of dialysis, two double transplants (kidney/pancreas), open-heart surgery, battling cancer, and having broken more bones than he can list.?

In spite of challenges that would take most people out, Bobby lives life full-on.? He is a passionate extreme sport competitor ? a tenacious adrenaline junkie who competes alongside fully able racers.

He was recently inducted into the National Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame and is a current nominee to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

Bobby has been a champion alpine skier (he competed in the 1998 Nagano Paralympics), though his current "life support" is the mountain bike. He embraces life with optimism and humor that is contagious, and imparts that enthusiasm to audiences worldwide.?