Matt has been a performer his whole life and, after brain cancer left the right side of his body paralyzed, he has learned to play the guitar with one hand. Matt now uses his music and his experience to inspire others with the message that we all have challenges in life, but it is how we emerge from the other side that matters. Matt and his wife, Kriss, live in Ucon. They have four sons and a daughter. Matt loves to inspire others to find what they can do to reach their full potential. Matt Pond grew up in Ucon, Idaho the 13 th of 14 children. He attended school at Bonneville, then Ricks College. Matt has been performing all of his life, with his family and later as a solo act. In January of 2006, Matt began having troubling symptoms, and months later, scans revealed brain cancer. Matt was just 35 years old and finishing up his final year of school at Boise State. That was put on hold to battle cancer for the next four years. After radiation, eight types of chemotherapy, and three surgeries, Matt was given a clean bill of health and is cancer-free. During treatment, he had lost the ability to read and write and the use of his right side. Matt has pressed forward with great determination and hope. He developed a unique method of playing his acoustic guitar with one hand. He learned to read and write again and completed a bachelors’ degree at BYU-Idaho in 2013. Matt and his wife Kriss live in Rexburg, Idaho. They have four sons and a daughter. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx