WILLIAM C. WARMINGTON

Steve Virgen

William C. Warmington, better known as Bill, entered the Daily Pilot

Sports Hall of Fame for his success in boating. But in regard to

overcoming physical adversity, Warmington has also achieved high

honors.

For nearly the past two years, Warmington has been walking. That

is rather remarkable considering he had been confined to a wheelchair

since 1988 and, because of his degenerative hip disease, doctors told

him it was likely he would never walk again. In fact, the pain was so

severe, Warmington had made his plans for his funeral.

But now he is walking.

“Unbelievable,” Warmington said. “It’s an incredible breakthrough,

a miracle. My dad couldn’t believe I was walking and neither could my

doctors. They do not understand how I am walking. I just tell them

it’s because I wanted to.”

Warmington endured 11 hip replacements, six on his right side and

five on the left. With each hip replacement, he suffered a fractured

pelvis. For one year, he was in a body cast. He lay in bed wondering

if he would ever rise again, though he also drew strength from his

family’s support, including, his father, Edward, brothers, including

his twin, Bud, and two daughters, Jenny and Emily.

Now, in addition to his real estate business, Warmington spends

much of his time delivering motivational speeches and providing

inspiration for others who are dealing with pain, as he did.

“I’m so excited about life,” said Warmington, 57, who lives in

Newport Beach. “When I get up in the morning, I can’t wait to get out

there and live.”

Combined with the support he received, Warmington also gained

motivation from his passion for sports, including fishing, and, from

his early days, water polo and swimming at Newport Harbor High.

Warmington was a goalie for the Sailors and he also competed in

water polo and swimming at Orange Coast College. He then went on to

USC to help begin his business career.

At Newport, he learned under Ted Newland and developed a love for

the sport and the importance of hard work and discipline.

“I hated [water polo] for the first four months, but then I liked

it,” Warmington said. “I loved it.”

After USC, Warmington helped build a successful insurance

business. He then sold his business and is now in real estate

development.

He started to deal with pain in his hip in 1980 and still endures

aches. Throughout the trials, Warmington has remained involved in

sports. He stuck with riding horses and he also remained an avid

fisherman. His friends would tie him to a chair so he could fish.

Warmington is also a member of the prestigious Tuna Club in

Avalon.

“People ask me, ‘What are you taking?’ ” he said. “It is

absolutely a miracle. I had made my funeral plans. You want to know

what I did that with stuff? I threw it in the fireplace. I threw it

in there two years ago.”

Aside from spending time with his family and providing inspiration

for others, Warmington has been cherishing his life and experiencing

good times found in traveling and the outdoors.

“I love to hunt and fish,” Warmington said. “I just love going

places. I’ll get in the motor home and I don’t know if I will turn

left or right. I’ll just go. I’ll do the work on my computer. I’m

just so excited about life. It really is so awesome.”