Words by Athlete Manager Landon McGauley
Having been involved with the High Fives Foundation since January 2011, I had seen firsthand the support and strength of this community. But it still struck me when I experienced it again as I lay in the hospital bed after my second spinal cord injury. Though I was thousands of kilometers away and the staff couldn’t be the first to walk through the hospital doors, they were certainly among the first to call me.
Just as I had heard so many athletes say before, Roy told me,
“Whatever you need, High Fives will be there.”
The last 18 months since I crashed my adaptive mountain bike and discovered that I would be re-learning how to live life in a wheelchair have been challenging beyond measure. The new difficulties that come with a higher injury level, combined with the mental anguish felt by my friends, family, and myself, at times seemed almost too much to bear.
When I received an invitation to Montana to fly fish and see the crew for the first time since my injury, it came at exactly the right moment in my recovery. Enough time had passed since my injury that the feeling of fragility had dissipated; weakness and fear were being replaced by a desire to get stronger and explore.
As soon as I was invited, I knew I had to bring my dad. As one of the world’s biggest fans of fly fishing, and someone who has been there for me through two spinal cord injuries and every single bad day, bringing him along on this trip was a no-brainer. My whole family has been there for me, but the thought of being able to catch a fish with my dad made me feel pretty dang happy.
Even though I felt good, there were still nerves about leaving the comforts of my own space. But rolling into the incredibly beautiful Silver Bow Lodge and seeing the faces of people who I knew genuinely cared about my well-being gave me all the confidence I needed.
Within minutes of arrival, it felt like I was hanging out with a group of friends I saw every day. Walls came down, and conversations flowed effortlessly. Over the next three days, fish were caught, meals were shared, tears were shed, and lifelong connections were formed.
The Beaverhead Valley provided the quintessential Montana “Big Sky Country” backdrop. We were fortunate to partner with Access Unlimited to float the Beaverhead River, fully equipped to haul in some Montana trout! Everyone on the trip caught fish, with most people getting into double digits. High Fives Director of Programs, Dani Trujillo, claimed to have caught more than anyone else, but she lacked any evidence or proof of these claims.
In addition to world-class fishing, the trip was further enhanced by having access to side-by-sides provided by Silver Bow Lodge and, of course, Return to Dirt. After fishing, all eight High Fives athletes and all the volunteers hopped in these machines and explored thousands of acres of pristine Montana landscape. We drove for about an hour, reaching the top of the mountain and the Continental Divide. On one side of the mountain, water flowed west toward the Pacific, while on the other side, it made its way east into the Atlantic.
It’s really hard to put into words how much this trip meant to me. Every High Fives trip has had its own special lessons and takeaways, but this one felt extra special. Catching fish with my dad and sharing those conversations—it’s cliché, but it’s just hard to put into words. What I can put into words is how much my world has changed since the trip.
When I left, I was almost fully dependent. I couldn’t dress myself, I struggled with transfers, and I couldn’t get into my vehicle on my own. But the day I came back, I was so motivated that I put my head down and committed to figuring it out—and I did.
I’m confident that catching fish in Montana with Matt Leonard, Kate Hwang, Jesse Alberi, Tim Burr, Roy Tuscany, James Nance, Dani Trujillo, and Jim Harris at the Silver Bow Lodge is the best physical therapy ever created!
