Cruise Bogle - Man & Chair Extrodinaire

It was Cruise's sister Casie who piqued my curiosity as to what this brother of her's could be about and after hearing of a much traveled life, an exciting beginning and un-denying affection; well wouldn't you be curious too?

Cruise is a good looking, 6'4" hunk of a wonderful disposition even though he now has the permanent use of a wheelchair to help him in his daily routine and life.

Cruise's accident which changed his life, came when he was 19.....he was skimboarding and whilst cutting into a wave slipped backwards landing on the back of his head. His friends all thought he was joking around until they realized he was not moving and a wave flipped him over...his life changed in the blink of an eye for the whole family …

I went to see Cruise who has his own little apartment within his parent's home, just a couple of weeks ago. ....and this is how it went...

SB: Where were you born Cruise, and how did you end up in Florida

Cruise. I was born on Bonaire which is a little island just off the coast of Venezuela. I have two older sisters and they and our parents were on a two year cruise on our sail boat and Bonaire is where I chose to 'pop out'. We grew up on the boat (and off too as my Dad was chartering it some of the time)... my mum did some home schooling with us but the life experience of ' hands on' is what has gotten us through... maybe not so much books, as life experiences. We had the chance to sail, of course and a little laser sailing when we were in Maine, which was our base but it was not until we came to Florida to live that I became more involved in sports, soccer through high school, then the beach scene of skimming and surfing.

SB: Tell us a little about your interest in keeping fit whilst you have been starting your own business.

Cruise. Yes, well I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week for about 2 to 3 hours each time and that is my main focus. I am stretched and weighed and measured (that's how I know I am 6'4”) and a piece of apparatus makes me sort of weightless so that I can regain and keep some strength in my arms. All the time there are new ideas which are being developed so I remain positive that I will be able to walk again.

I also do a bit of painting and I mean a little bit, I mean barely nothing; but I am lucky that when I do, it seems to be a hit and treated like a bit of a masterpiece (here he's laughing) and we've made the designs into T-shirts. The most popular T-shirts seem to be the Sealife ones which are selling well. They are my own designs which I paint by mouth and there is a jellyfish design plus a Mahi-Mahi design. The 'Jelly Fish' is in bright orange and yellow so it really catches the eye and the Mahi is in more subtle blues and greens... they have become popular and the proceeds go towards my gym fees which can be a bit high for the family... I am just expanding into stretching the painting onto canvas which has turned out well and we hope to add this as an option online with the “Sealife T-shirts”.

SB: The painting which for you, is by mouth, is that tough?

Cruise. Well, I don't think it's as tough as it is made out to be... when you think that you normally would use your hands for painting and then you think about doing it with your mouth, it seems a little crazy, but if you concentrate and just go for it... I didn't find it that hard, but it is probably a bit more tricky than with your hands. I had some friends sit by the side of me and give it a try (these are able-bodied friends) but mine seem to turn out better than theirs... so perhaps I have an eye for it.

With these same friends I also started a company called College Lyfe Worldwide and we have developed shirts and hats and we travel to a couple of colleges in Florida, partying to promote the brand, we are gradually spreading to other parts of the country and hopefully, eventually, to become worldwide.

SB: Do you have any hopes and dreams which in an ideal world you feel you would like to aspire to?

Cruise. Well, with science and technology being what it is I have faith that I will be walking again one day, although I realize I will probably never be 100% of what I was before, as long as I can keep on working and stay healthy I can embrace it when it happens, so I will work towards that goal. Other than that, I would like to be wealthy enough to be able to afford the things I need, and begin to take care of the people around me who are helping me now. 'Give them a break', so to speak!

SB: Despite the accident how do you remain so positive and full of life?

Cruise. I think we just have to deal with the cards with which we are dealt and move on as best we can. We have to create a good attitude and be humble enough accept the help we are offered.

As I glanced around Cruise's home I saw a painting of the 'Jelly Fish' which had been enlarged and stretched over the canvas and the 'Mahi -Mahi' placed onto a blue background, thus making them a beautiful artwork centerpiece. So canvas and water color signed paintings are also going to be available when Cruise has the time to put them together and onto his website.

SB: I heard a tale, that you were looking for a place to go ice skating, how true is that?

Cruise. Well, I did happen to mention it and having inquired it was suggested to me that perhaps a roller rink would be best... it was a nice thought but I roll around on wheels all day so perhaps that was not such a good offer. (laughing) I just thought it might be good to feel the rush of sprinting around on the ice for a change and it would make it something out of the ordinary for me to do.

SB:What makes you laugh?

Cruise. That's a difficult question... some TV shows and really just goofing around with my friends. Since my accident I find I don't get as emotional as I used to, I don't 'WOW' a lot.... my family and friends are amazing and we have the best times...

SB:What is your favorite thing to do?

Cruise. I like just hanging out with friends and being in a positive environment. Sometimes if the weather is bad and I am hanging around in the house all the time I can tell it's not good for me because I start to get a bit down on myself, so to hang out with friends and feel I am moving forward, going to the gym and working on my websites feels good to me.

SB: Do you have any connection with water sports at all now? I realize that must be a very difficult task for you to get to the beach.

Cruise. I do enjoy going out on the little 23ft power boat the family has and I have been on my sister's sail boat when I went up to Maine for her wedding last year. Going to the beach now creates another problem with the extreme heat here; it's a problem for me getting across the sand and then once there, staying cool.

SB: Is there anything in particular that you feel might promote your story and your products.

Cruise. I would like to create some, or a lot, of inspiration and motivation. It is amazing even to me that I am remaining so positive and what I am able to do on a daily basis . If I could inspire anyone to be better and live better, be content with what they have and who they are, that is what I would like to be promoted with my story. To inspire people from all walks of life, able and disabled, to take advantage of what they have and encourage them to live life to the fullest of their ability... is my message...

SB: Have you seen anything about the 2020 Olymics in Japan where they are hoping to have the surfing Olympics held indoors (and perhaps outside too) as an Olympic Sport... it has passed the second round judging as a competition sport to Olympic standard... what would you think to that?

Cruise. Sweet! That would be awesome. I have a very big interest still, in the water sports theme.

SB. Do you have a sort of list of things you would like to do in the future?

Cruise. I would like to get out there a bit more now and do a few more extreme things, although I do not care for bungie jumping or jumping out of an airplane. We have been chatting about a trip to Asia just so I can see things like another culture and experience something else... of course it is a long trip but with my amazing 'help' it could be do-able.

SB: Your websites for your College Lyfe Worldwide and your paintings and T Sealife apparel, can you tell us more about those.

Cruise. The Sealife apparel is www.cruisebogle.com and that also gives the full account of what happened to me and the different types of gyms and workouts which brought me to where I am today; plus the shop to see the articles of inventory for sale. The College Lyfe Brand are at www.collegelyfeworldwide.com

At this point my time was up with Cruise, but I left so wanting him to have the chance to accomplish all the things he wants to do... I think I am a positive person but he made me feel very humble...