Bill Wong is a man on the move. And the stroke he had last year at age 45 is not about to stop him from pursuing the activities he's always enjoyed--cycling, cooking, and traveling the world.

His love of travel probably started as an infant. Born in Rawlings, Wyoming, Bill moved to San Francisco with his two sisters and parents when he was just a year old.

He attended public schools in San Francisco and met his wife Mary while at San Francisco State University. They've been married 17 years andhave traveled the world together, adventuring to Hawaii, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand.

Just this past summer Bill decided he was long overdue for a vacation. He told friends at the Aphasia Center that he might be gone for a week-long trip. Upon his return, group members asked Bill where he'd gone. Many mouths dropped open when he nonchalantly answered, "Japan!"--a trip he'd taken by himself.

In the past, when he wasn't traveling, Bill worked as an office machine technician for the IKON corporation. After 4 years of fixing copy and fax machines in the field, Bill was promoted to the position of Technical Manager--a job he held for more than 13 years. Bill managed more than 30 people at the time of his stroke.

As the facilitator of the Tuesday afternoon Aphasia Center group, I've had the privilege of getting to know Bill. What impresses me most about this man is his intuitive sense of people. He instinctively knows how to help others in the group communicate, even though his own communication is affected by aphasia.

He is quick to use the pads of paper and pens that we have on the table. Using these resources for writing and drawing assists verbal communication and everyone in the group benefits. Bill's aphasia does not prevent him from using such valuable skills--he continues to be a real "people" person.

Bill's spirit of "doing" and "going" are a constant source of inspiration to members and therapists alike. He says that his real secret is that he has made peace with his stroke and aphasia. Bill's advice for those with aphasia? "Go forward….you're only going up."