Josh Sundquist is as close as anyone can get to a real-life superhero and he’s someone I personally look up to for inspiration. The motivational speaker, comedian, writer, and former US Paralympian lost his leg to cancer when was just 9 years old. But he didn’t let that stop him from living life to the fullest. And he’s developed a great sense of humor to match his athleticism.
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Every year on Halloween, Sundquist dresses up in a costume that makes use of his disability. He’s just revealed his costume for 2020 and our team’s happy to know that we guessed what it was from the hints Sundquist, 36, gave us. He’s dressed up as Baby Groot from Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ and he looks great!
“The costume is a surprise but I can offer this hint: It's a character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Sundquist told Bored Panda when we spoke to him about his Halloween plans this year. He also shared a teaser on his Facebook page and some fans were quick to find out the truth, too.
Josh Sundquist lost his leg to cancer when he was a 9-year-old kid
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
He's learned to thrive with his disability since then and has become an athlete and a motivational speaker
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Sundquist told Bored Panda that this year, he and his wife will have to miss their annual tradition of trick-or-treating at the Halloween party at Disneyworld because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this doesn’t mean that Sundquist doesn’t plan on having fun on the spookiest night of the year.
“We'll be celebrating however we can in accordance with health experts' recommendations for our region. Fortunately, the costume is itself a mask and I've already taken the costume out to walk around the neighborhood handing out flowers—like Groot does in Guardians of the Galaxy,” he revealed that he’s already taken his costume out for a test drive.
Sundquist had some words of wisdom to share with us about this incredibly tough year. “Obviously, the pandemic has been catastrophic and sad. It's presented us with innumerable limitations. But limitations can force us to be creative in ways we would not otherwise have imagined. I mean, look at my Halloween costumes,” he stressed the fact that there’s always a silver lining and room for personal growth even during hard times. Or, rather, especially during hard times.
One thing that Sundquist absolutely adores is dressing up for Halloween. In 2010, he dressed as Gingy the Gingerbread Man from 'Shrek'
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
He uses Halloween as a way to celebrate what makes him different. In 2012, his wife, Ashley, gave him the idea to dress up in reference to the film 'A Christmas Story'
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
In 2013, he became a flamingo: “I was just at the zoo one time and I noticed that flamingos look like me doing a crutch handstand. So yeah”
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
In 2014, Sundquist dressed up as a foosball player: “A YouTube subscriber suggested it to me at VidCon. I thought it was appropriate since last year I was also named to the US Amputee World Cup Team”
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
While in 2015, he became an IHOP restaurant sign: “It’s a classic amputee joke. This year I decided to anthropomorphize it”
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
“If my career as a motivational speaker doesn’t work out, I could probably get a job at IHOP,” he said
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
In 2016, he took inspiration from 'Beauty and the Beast': “Lumiere—He’s Disney’s most famous monopod”
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
While in 2017, he made us smile as he dressed up as Tigger from 'Winnie-the-Pooh': “Here’s my Halloween costume! Tigger!”
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
In 2018, Sundquist became Genie from 'Aladdin': “Hello, Aladdin. Nice to have you on the show. Can we call you Al? Or maybe just Din? Or how about Laddie? Kind of like, ‘Here boy! [Whistles] Come on, Laddie!”
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
“When I was a child, I wanted to be a Disney animator when I grew up,” Josh told PEOPLE magazine. “I got a letter from an animator at Walt Disney who happened to be a double amputee. His name was Broose Johnson”
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
“I wanted to dress as Genie as a tribute to Broose, to Make-A-Wish, and, of course, to Robin Williams,” Sundquist said
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Last year, in 2019, Sundquist became the world-famous lamp from Pixar: "I’m dressing as the Pixar lamp for Halloween"
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
"You guys have been requesting this one in the comments for years. Hope you enjoy," he said
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Is this Sundquist wearing his costume or is it an actual still from a Pixar movie? We're not sure!
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Last year, Sundquist told Bored Panda more about himself and told us how we can all overcome our limitations. He said that his main ‘addiction’ is making people laugh. “As addictions go, this is a pretty good one. It has very few side effects. And it’s free (other than the annual cost of building a Halloween costume),” he joked.
He was also open about all the other challenges he faced in life. “Like any good millennial, I’ve had to work through a standard quota of mental health issues. But mental health, of course, is never finished or cured or overcome. It’s managed. It’s ongoing. It’s in progress.”
Sundquist posted a teaser before Halloween for his fans to guess his next costume
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
This year, Sundquist dressed up as Baby Groot!
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Sundquist gave everyone who’s currently struggling with problems some accurate advice on how to overcome their challenges. “If you’re carrying a heavy burden, you have three options: You can hold on a little longer, you can find someone to share the load, or you can decide it’s time to let go. All three are equally valid. Wisdom is choosing the best one for this particular moment,” he said.
Back in high school, Sundquist didn’t want anyone to find out that he was missing a leg, so he wore a prosthesis all the time. However, with time, he became more comfortable with who he is and what he looks like. His Halloween costumes are a way to celebrate what makes him different and unique.
Sundquist has dressed up as Gingy the Gingerbread Man from Shrek, a flamingo, a foosball player, Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, the incredibly famous Pixar lamp, and others. One thing’s for sure—he keeps surprising us. And we’re already waiting for Halloween 2021 to see how he tops his newest costume.
Here's how he made the costume
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist
Image credits: Josh Sundquist