Simon Calcavecchia is one of the endearing forces that makes Olympia so damn awesome.  You know Simon - that good-looking man who cruises around Olympia in his wheelchair with his signature Hello Kitty backpack strapped to the back. Simon, with his dapper attire and plethora of beautiful women and tight bros, can be seen drinking tea at Vita, or studying at Evergreen, or hitting up hip-hop shows downtown.

And if you don't already know and love Simon, you will now, for he has given me the pleasure of telling you his story.

An explosive passion

Calcavecchia invites me to his home for our interview, and just taking a look around I feel his gentle spirit shine through. Tranquil paintings against periwinkle walls set the backdrop in the spacious room. A picture window reveals a large rock pond surrounded by ferns and ivy. A fish tank babbles, and his Great Dane, Sampson, saunters into the room to give my hand a lick.

But behind that peace lays a sense of passion. I catch glimpses of it in Calcavecchia's eyes as he speaks, a certain fierceness that makes him seem larger than life and capable of accomplishing whatever he sets his sights on.           

"Simon has a wonderful kind of patience. He's graceful in demeanor, and under that cool, enormous smile lays some explosive passion. He is genuinely thoughtful, and although I have known Simon my whole life, his character is always evolving in impressive new ways. I really admire him for his dedication to always striving for the best in any of his endeavors," says David Joel, Simon's cousin.

One such endeavor was Calcavecchia's enthusiasm for rugby, the sport that changed his life forever. As a junior at Capitol High School in Olympia, he played for the first time and fell in love with the sport.

"I felt invincible with that ball in my hand," he reminisces.

His enthusiasm did not go unnoticed, and soon he was invited to join a rugby team in Australia. Of course he accepted. After graduation, Calcavecchia met up with teammates and coaches in a little town just outside Sydney.

"Bloody hell," Calcavecchia says of Australia. "It was absolutely amazing, one of the best times of my life."

After Calcavecchia played his third game - an important victory - the team celebrated, as they always did, with a scrum, a giant hug involving all of the brawny rugby players. This time, however, the shoulder-to-shoulder squeeze resulted in Simon's head being compacted. Simon's spine was broken, and injuries to his C-5 and C-6 vertebrae caused quadriplegia. 

Calcavecchia's life would never be the same, but he was far from beaten.

A storyteller

Now 27 and living life to the fullest, Calcavecchia still carries his torch of passion, having many creative outlets including painting, writing and, most recently and feverishly, hip-hop influenced spoken word.

"I'm a hybrid between rapper and storyteller," Calcavecchia explains.

This isn't just some feel-good story. Calcavecchia's hybrid rap and storytelling has received an amazing response from the community. Friends and family love it. Strangers love it. Promoters love it. Calcavecchia has been regularly performing at The Royal in Olympia and recently had an interview on KAOS 89.3 FM, where he spit his rhymes live on the air.

On a roll in Olympia and with a reputation for pushing for what he wants, Calcavecchia recently attempted to take his talent and message to the masses. He traveled to Portland for an America's Got Talent audition and competed in a beat poetry throwdown in Seattle. Both environments were tricky for his type of sound, he says, and the outcome disappointed him.

"It was a blow to the ego," he says of the losses.

But, as we know, Calcavecchia isn't one to stay on the mat. With encouragement from his coach, as he fondly refers to his buddy, Eric Lambert, aka Compost, Simon is back in the saddle and comfortable with his niche in the hip-hop world - and glad for the support from his friends.

"My biggest strength is the people in this community," says Calcavecchia.

"Like Compost, we just feed off each other. He believes in me."

Coach Compost feels equally grateful for his chance to work with Simon.

"His poems are empowering and inspiring. I get excited to work with him," he says.

Don't need repair

Calcavecchia recognizes his emotions are ultimately what inspire him. At times, despair and frustration help him choose his lyrics. Other times elation and optimism.

Lately, it's a month-long road trip to Mexico providing the fuel for his fire.

Calcavecchia tells me he'd been craving travel for a long time, but he didn't think it was possible - until one day he and a friend decided to just hit the road. The decision was fateful as they met people from all over the world and made amazing connections.

One such amazing connection was with a woman named Maria. The connection has lasted long after Calcavecchia's initial trip. Simon and Maria now have a relationship that transcends country borders and wheelchair restrictions. Simon has visited Mexico twice since the initial exchange, and Maria recently spent a couple of weeks in Olympia.

Calcavecchia credits his travel and experiences with Maria for the construction of a lot of his lyrics. The elements of his poetry reach all the degrees that make listening engaging. He uses wit and imagination, darkness and depth, strength and sunshine. The cadence and sound of Calcavecchia's voice fit his lyrics; both are soothing and full of energy.

Calcavecchia wrote three songs when he returned to Olympia, including "Confinement" - which flows:

"Confined to this chair, don't dare look at me with pity and despair, I look broken but I don't need repair."

"People can't hear his poems and not be touched by them," says Compost.

According to Calcavecchia, his next progression in the world of hip-hop is to start adding beats to his lyrics. He also plans on making a full-length album under the name MC Abiliti.

I'm sure he'll accomplish his goals.

As our interview winds down, I pat the friendly dog one last time, take a deep breath and leave feeling grounded and inspired.

Get your own dose of Simon Calcavecchia's elixir of stories Thursday at The Royal Lounge in Olympia with DJ Deadbeat, Q Storm, A.K.A., Dance Brooms, and Darktime Sunshine.

[The Royal Lounge, Simon Calcavecchia, DJ Deadbeat, Q Storm, A.K.A., Dance Brooms, Darktime Sunshine, Thursday, April 15, 9 p.m., $5, 311 Capitol Way North, Olympia, 360.705.0760]