When Oprah Winfrey brought her national motivation tour to Atlanta on Saturday, she also spotlighted a metro Atlanta resident with his own inspiring story.
Erik Pimentel of Buford was recognized on stage during Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus event at State Farm Arena.
And not only did Pimentel get to meet the media mogul, he also met another celebrity who’s inspired him: former pro wrestler turned successful actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
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It was, Pimentel said, a surreal experience that has left him humbled and amazed.
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At each of Oprah’s nine stops on her sold-out national tour, which is presented by WW (formerly Weight Watchers), she is honoring a WW community member whose wellness journey has caught others’ attention. Pimentel, 40, was selected because he shared his story through WW’s social platform Connect and has earned a following of over 16,000 members.
In 2015, Pimentel was involved in a forklift accident at work and lost his right foot. He used a wheelchair after that and was fitted for a prosthetic leg. Unfortunately, his weight made him unable to use the prosthetic leg for long periods of time. That was the catalyst of Erik’s decision to join WW and change his life.
“I began my journey on March 21, 2017,” Pimentel said. “I set a goal to lose 100 pounds in a year and I did it. I’m now down 110 pounds.”
After losing the weight, Pimentel received a new prosthetic leg from Shamrock Prosthetics in Athens. He now wears his prosthesis, which is emblazoned with his mantra “No Excuses,” for 15 to 16 hours a day. He also is now a patient advocate for Shamrock Prosthetics.
“It is a gift to me to get to help other amputees,” said Pimentel. “I know the struggle, because I also struggled greatly in the beginning. But I realized the battle is 95% mental. I found my faith after my accident, and I help others now for the glory of God. Amputees come in all shapes and sizes, and I want to support them and inspire them.”
When Pimentel was first contacted by WW about Winfrey’s event, he had no idea that he would get to meet Johnson, his personal inspiration - on stage before 12,000 people, no less.
“I am a humongous fan of his,” said Pimentel. “He came from humble beginnings just like me, and I’ve always admired what he’s done in his life. In his movie ‘Skyscraper,’ he plays an amputee; isn’t that something?”
Although Pimentel had already been interviewed by Winfrey on stage Saturday, Johnson surprised him by beckoning him back to the stage for a second moment in the spotlight. The arena filled with applause as Johnson hugged Pimentel and called him an inspiration.
» Here's a video clip of Pimentel with Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson. Video courtesy of WW from Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus event at State Farm Arena:
Oprah’s full interview with Dwayne Johnson will air on Wednesday, January 29 (8 PM ET / 7 PM CT) as part of WW’s Wellness Wednesday Series on Oprah’s Facebook channel, and the WW Now Facebook Channel, with highlights on Instagram, @ww.now.
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