Justin A. Linn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Justin Linn, May 17, 2004, March for Inclusion |
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| Born: | July 28, 1988 (age 18) Bridgeton, New Jersey |
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| Occupation: | web developer, entrepreneur |
| Website: | 2020Sat.com |
Justin Alan Linn, (born July 28, 1988), is a wheelchair-bound American entrepreneur and web developer. Born in Bridgeton, New Jersey to Michelle L. Linn and Christopher A. Bonner, Linn has studied computer science, web development, and Internet marketing.
In 2006, Linn founded 2020Sat.com, a site which offers promotions on major cable and satellite television services.
[edit] Early Life
Linn was not raised by his biological father, but was raised by his step-father, Fred D. Johnson, Jr. (now deceased). He is the oldest of his four siblings; two brothers and two sisters.
At the age of four, Linn was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type III, a neurological condition causing weakness due to the loss of motor neurons of the spine. At the age of nine, he began using a wheelchair to assist with distant walking, however, was still able to ambulate. Due to a Lyme disease infection at the age of eleven causing excessive weakness, the last time he walked was a year later at the age of twelve, when he permanently began utilizing a power wheelchair.
Although he had limited mobility, that did not stop his outdoor recreational activities. At the age of eleven, he was named the record holder of the 1999 third largest largemouth bass caught in Cumberland County, New Jersey.
Linn attended elementary school in Bridgeton, New Jersey. At the age of thirteen, he enrolled in a Millville, New Jersey middle school. In his seventh grade year in middle school, he and his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his mother seeked employment as a nurse. This is where Linn pursued his future and involved in various activities.
During his school years, Linn was the subject of much discrimination by school districts he attended. On multiple occasions, he was told that he could not attend field trips, as there was not transportation suitable for his wheelchair. In Philadelphia, he was featured in the Philadelphia Weekly Magazine by Solomon Jones, who chronicled the events of Linn's life in a feature A Hurdle Too High.
Linn's other activies included rising to the ranks of First Class in the Boy Scouts of America. In 2001, he was one of only a few to attend the National Scout jamboree, where President George W. Bush was scheduled to speak. Linn was featured during the closing show, where over 40,000 people attended.
