All Town’s on-field and off-field staff were given an inspirational talk from Jason Schechterle, a former Arizona police officer who suffered serious burns in a road accident and is now a motivational speaker.
Schechterle, 49, a member and representative of the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS), the police and fire service pension fund which owns a majority stake in the club, spoke to office staff and a handful of invited guests including TWTD’s Phil Ham and BBC Radio Suffolk’s Mark Murphy last Wednesday morning, then the coaching staff and first-team players in the afternoon.
On Thursday, he spoke to the club’s academy staff and women’s team players and staff.
In March 2001, aged 28, only 14 months into his career as a police officer on the streets of Phoenix, Schechterle was on his way to an emergency call when a taxi, travelling at over 100mph, crashed into the rear of his patrol car, the driver having suffered an epileptic fit.
Schechterle’s police car burst into flames and he was trapped inside for more than 90 seconds.
Remarkably, Schechterle survived the crash but suffered fourth degree burns, drastically altering his appearance and has since undergone more than 50 surgeries. His story in full can be found on his Burning Shield website.
Schechterle spoke about values and how Town’s now match those of PSPRS and the people they represent, as exemplified by the Running Towards Adversity mantra promoted by the club since the takeover.
The message is on the collar of Town’s home and away kits this season, while there is now also a sign bearing the names of office staff, coaching staff and players outside the first-team dressing room at Portman Road, the last thing the players see before they leave the tunnel ahead of a home fixture.
"It was an absolute pleasure to have Jason with us,” CEO Mark Ashton told the club site.
"We spoke with Jason for more than a year about a visit to Portman Road and it was more than worth the wait.
"Jason is an inspiration to us all and it was clear that his words and life experiences had a real impact on both players and staff.
"It is imperative that we share his values as we represent our fans with honour and humility. The club, and everyone that represents it, will always strive to do the right thing.”
Schechterle was also a special guest at Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Bolton Wanderers.
Backing up the Running Towards Adversity message, PSPRS and the club board have financially supported non-playing staff to help with the cost-of-living crisis with club-wide salary increases in line with inflation.
A statement on the Town website reads: "PSPRS are committed to the long-term rebuilding on Ipswich Town and recognises its staff are a vital to ultimate success.”