MCHENRY — Vaughn Ripley is a database administrator, health and fitness professional, life coach, published author, husband, father and self-described adrenaline junkie.
He is also a hemophiliac who contracted human immunodeficiency virus from a tainted blood transfusion in 1987, then overcame drug addiction while successfully battling HIV for more than 38 years.
Ripley’s life story is the subject of the next Joan Crawford Lecture Series (JCLS) presentation, which takes place Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College conference center. His presentation — Thriving Against the Odds: A Journey of Adventure and Resilience — is free and open to the general public.
Andy Hershey, an associate professor of Outdoor Leadership Adventure Education at Garrett College, termed Ripley one of the most impactful speakers he’s brought to campus to speak with his students.
“We’ve hosted everyone from Olympic paddlers to the world’s top climbers, as well as industry pioneers and motivational speakers,” said Hershey. “From my perspective, Vaughn Ripley’s presentation focusing on his lifelong motivation and accomplishments … was the most inspiring of them all.”
Ripley, who lives in Maryland with his wife and son, was born with hemophilia in 1967. Just a teenager when he contracted HIV, he responded at first with what he termed “a hard life of drugs and alcohol,” before turning his life around. Ripley chronicled his life story in “Survivor: One Man’s Battle with HIV, Hemophilia, and Hepatitis C” (2010).
The Joan Crawford Lecture Series honors dynamic educator Joan R. Crawford, who died in 2010 after serving the Garrett College community for 30 years in a variety of faculty and staff roles.
For more information, contact Stephanie Miller at stephanie.miller@garrettcollege.edu.