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Thomas Smith honored member of the International Association of Top Professionals will be honored at their annual awards gala in Las Vegas
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 31, 2025 /EINPresswire / -- Thomas Smith, President and Co-Founder of Thomas E. Smith Foundation, was recently selected as Top Philanthropist of the Year for 2025 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for his outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry.
Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself; only a few members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, longevity in the field, other affiliations, and contributions to their communities. All Honorees are invited to attend the IAOTP annual award gala at the end of this year for a night to honor their achievements.
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Thomas Smith is the first person in medical history to be paralyzed three separate times and recover. After his third injury, he co-founded the Thomas E. Smith Foundation (TESF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to address the financial and emotional gaps in healthcare that individuals and families with paralysis experience.
Since its inception in 2010, the Thomas E. Smith Foundation has become a national leader for being a catalyst for transformative change in the lives of people living with paralysis by challenging the status quo, developing comprehensive care continuum programs, investing in groundbreaking research, and advocating for equitable access to care. Mr. Smith's foundation is committed to dismantling systemic barriers, empowering individuals, and redefining the possibilities for a life without limitations. TESF believes in a progressive healthcare approach to improving the lives of those with paralysis.
With over seventeen years of experience in the industry, Mr. Smith certainly has proven himself as an expert in his field. As a dynamic, results driven leader, Mr. Smith holds two patents for his invention The Look-Up Line, ice hockey's first warning track. To date, The Look-Up Line has been installed in hundreds of ice rinks across America as well as Canada in an effort to decrease the risk of head and neck injury in hockey.
In 2015, Mr. Smith created The Reality Ride Challenge, a 38-day cycling event spanning 2,100+ miles from Boston, MA to Miami, FL to raise money and awareness for paralysis research. During this event, he cycled on average 65 miles a day on a bike, 3 miles a day in a handcycle wheelchair in recognition of his three injuries, and walked 1 mile each day for those who can't. On May 1, 2015, Mr. Smith completed the 38-day event, becoming the first person with paralysis to cycle the eastern seaboard. As a result, the Thomas E. Smith Foundation raised $100,000 for research at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
In 2018, Mr. Smith became the first person who has been paralyzed multiple times to complete the Boston Marathon without the use of a wheelchair. His story became an overnight sensation and was featured on media outlets around the world. Since then, he's completed six Boston Marathons, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for paralysis. Mr. Smith plans to continue to compete in the Boston Marathon every year to raise money and awareness.
Today, the Thomas E. Smith Foundation is a paralysis partner to the NHL's Boston Bruins Foundation and in the coming months, TESF will be launching their Care Continuum Program at the world's most comprehensive research center for paralysis, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
To date, the Thomas E. Smith Foundation has donated over $2,000,000 to individuals living with paralysis as well as groundbreaking clinical research. Mr. Smith's story exemplifies what our core values summarize: resilience, determination, and a desire to create positive change. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Smith has received many awards and accolades and has been recognized worldwide for his accomplishments. This year, he will be considered for a feature in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine. He will be honored at IAOTP's annual awards gala next December in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel for his selection as Top Philanthropist of the Year.
The President of the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP), Stephanie Cirami, stated: "Choosing Mr. Smith for this honor was an easy decision for our panel to make. He is inspirational, influential, and a true visionary and thought leader. We cannot wait to meet him and celebrate his accomplishments at this year's gala."
Looking back, Mr. Smith attributes his success to his persistence, family, and mentors that he's had along the way. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, cycling, and traveling. In the future, he is committed to furthering his influence through various channels, including writing a book, hosting podcasts, and engaging in conversations surrounding healthcare, societal change, and leadership.
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About IAOTP
The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization that handpicks the world's finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries. These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers, and to help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join. You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.
IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals around the world, the recognition and credibility that they deserve and have helped in building their branding empires. IAOTP prides itself to be a one-of-a-kind boutique networking organization that hand picks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals to one place.
For More information on IAOTP please visit:
Stephanie Cirami
IAOTP
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