It’s Ripple Effect Athlete shout out time, this time it’s for Adam. Adam is exceptional, an athlete who is driven, positive, and so willing to show up and do the work. I’m at a loss for words to describe how inspiring Adam truly is. His come back from the injury he suffered and his prognosis is inspirational, his determination and strength of will is truly extraordinary. He is a constant beacon to me to work harder, to embrace my life, to strive to help others because I can, and never complain about anything I’ve chosen in my life. Thank you Adam for being a shining light, we will always be here for you!
From Adam~
I grew up a flatlander, appreciating athletic competition from a very young age. When I landed in this valley at 21 I fell in love with the mountains, snowboarding, mountain bike racing, started to learn woodworking, and then went on to start a family.
Life was going well leading up to my broken neck (C4) and subsequent spinal cord injury in 2012, leaving more than 90% of my body paralyzed. My prognosis was 0% recovery, and for the first two and a half years it seemed to be the case. I finally became healthy enough to begin PT and OT and slowly piece together different rehab modalities until ultimately having an opportunity to work with Carolyn Parker at Ripple Effect 5 years after my injury. (An opportunity that would not have been possible without Carolyn’s personal generosity and later the High Fives Foundation.)
I’ve cultivated a tremendous appreciation for my time at Ripple Effect, Carolyn has an amazing ability to troubleshoot areas that need improvement and help me regain function, arms, hands, trunk muscles and more. In addition to the huge gains over the last two years, and perhaps just as important, is the inspiring atmosphere and tone that Carolyn sets with her athletes and her staff. Someone in my situation is told more often what they cannot do or will not be able to do, rather than being encouraged to push forward. It’s hard to describe just how empowering it is to fill the role of “recovering athlete” instead of “permanently disabled”. I owe a lot of my progress and neurofunctional return to the precious time I’ve been able to spend at Ripple Effect and look forward to exceeding more expectations!