PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 31, 2006):

Bob Hobbs, Jr. had it all: youth, health, looks, money and a close-knit, supportive family.

Then it all fell apart. His ongoing battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) left him virtually paralyzed and wondering how he would survive another minute; his mother and father were each diagnosed with cancer, and his wife with Multiple Sclerosis.

His journey, and that of his family, in overcoming challenges that would have left others grasping for answers became inspirational life lessons that he wanted to share.

"Looking back, I realized that the challenges thrown at me were actually opportunities to grow," he said. "We can't choose what comes our way during our lives, but we do have a choice in how to handle it. We must choose to be happy."

That realization drove his decision to leave the highly successful third-generation, $80 million business he was running, Naumann/Hobbs Material Handling, to share the message that living life with
Hope | Vision | Passion can help others overcome life's "speed bumps."

Hobbs will bring his motivational experience to the Dodge Theatre at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, April 5.

He'll be joined on stage by three individuals whose own life stories can only be described as remarkably inspirational:

. Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan, who was born with a lower limb disability and had both legs amputated after an accident at the age of 20. Tynan went on to set 14 world records in international track and field events at disabled games and is today a doctor of sports medicine. He started taking voice lessons at 30 and is now well-known around the world as a member of the Irish Tenors.

. Jim MacLaren, actor, motivational speaker and former professional athlete. At age 22, this 6-foot-5, 300 pound former defensive lineman and Yale graduate was hit by a New York City bus and pronounced dead on arrival at Bellevue Hospital. Less than two weeks after waking from a coma, he began rehabilitation that included learning to walk without his left leg, amputated below the knee. Today, he holds the record as the fastest amputee marathon runner and triathlete in the world. In June 1993, while riding in the biking portion of a California triathlon, he was hit by a van and thrown headfirst into a lamppost, breaking his C5 vertebra and diagnosed as a quadriplegic. He has since regained partial control of his limbs, as well as his independence and is an inspiration to thousands through his own foundation.

. Adventurer Alan Hobson, who at 29, began to realize his most-ambitious childhood dream: conquering Mount Everest. It took ten years to reach the highest point on earth. Three years later, he was diagnosed with blood cancer and given less than a year to live. That was six years ago. Today, he is one of fewer than 12 people to achieve an elite level of fitness after a blood transfusion for acute leukemia and has been cancer free for more than four years. An international best-selling author, former nine-time All-American gymnast, marathon runner and hang glider pilot, his sixth book is Climb Back from Cancer -- A Survivor and Caregiver's Inspirational Journey, written with his wife.

Tickets for Bob Hobbs' Jr.'s multi-sensory Hope | Vision | Passion Inspirational Experience range from $55 to $190 and are available at the Dodge Theatre, 400 W. Washington or through Ticketmaster,
(480) 784-4444 or (520) 321-1000 or www.ticketmaster.com.