Since the early days of High Fives in 2009, when founder Roy Tuscany was working out of a small office and supporting only a handful of athletes, one of the foundation’s only constants has been change.
High Fives has grown, new athletes have joined the community, and increasingly ambitious ideas have been imagined and brought to life. The foundation’s physical space has also evolved again and again to accommodate expanded workout areas, Healing Center services, new programs, and a growing athlete community.
Throughout that growth, one tradition has remained: every athlete who receives a High Fives grant is asked to set a goal connected to the equipment, service, or support they receive.
Athletes are encouraged to choose something meaningful and challenging—a goal that requires commitment, effort, and a little elbow grease. They are also asked to establish a timeline for completing it.
Every athlete who has received a High Fives grant has taken part in this process.
As the High Fives community grew from five athletes to ten, then to one hundred, and eventually to more than one thousand, these goals helped athletes challenge themselves, discover new possibilities, and create pathways forward following life-changing injuries.
Since its inception, the Arcade Belt Goal Program has celebrated more than 436 completed goals, including:
- 148 mountain biking-related goals
- 77 skiing and snowboarding-related goals
- 51 surfing-related goals
- 50 fly-fishing-related goals
- 8 outdoor motorsports-related goals
Athletes have also completed numerous goals focused on health and recovery, family and community involvement, mental well-being, independence, and personal growth.
Each goal represents more than a box being checked. It represents an athlete identifying something meaningful, working through challenges, and discovering what they are capable of achieving.
While every goal is equally important, we wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of the incredible accomplishments that have been completed through the Arcade Belt Goal Program.
Keith Shirk
Completion date: October 30, 2023
Keith’s goal was one he had carried with him for more than 20 years following his injury:
“To have the ability, as a higher-level quadriplegic, to finally get back onto the trails where I used to hike, mountain bike, and backpack.”
Byron Green
Completion date: September 1, 2024
Byron set the goal of earning a place on the Canadian National Wheelchair Rugby Team and competing at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
“Goal setting is a key tool for high performance athletes. I have found that my periods of quick growth as an athlete have been tied to having personal goals. I experience an intense sense of accomplishment when I achieve a goal I have set, it’s a potent mix of knowing I am a better athlete and appreciation of the work/time I put in to make it happen. Oftentimes I set a very broad goal, for example “competing at the 2024 paralympic games for Canada in wheelchair rugby” but I will break it down into smaller goals that are more directly under my control to achieve. When I rolled onto the court for our opening game of the 2024 Paralympics I felt so many emotions, but knowing that I had achieved my goal made it just a bit sweeter.“
Geoffrey Johnson
Completion date: July 4, 2024
Geoffrey’s goal was to independently take his dogs for a walk—a meaningful step toward greater freedom and independence in his daily life.
Jon Arnow
Completion date: June 1, 2024
During the 2023–2024 season, Jon completed more than 600 miles and 50,000 feet of climbing on an entirely arm-powered Nordic cross-country sit-ski.
“I passionately love Nordic SITSKIING- I wish more paraplegics would join me. There is no sport that is as demanding aerobically as Nordic Skiing.“
Laura Grabowski
Completion date: August 2025
Travel somewhere to ride amazing mountain bike trails on my Bowhead with another female who also rides by Bowhead.
“eeeeeee I have never ridden with another adaptive rider before or since. I felt pretty confident that I would be good enough and we actually rode a trail I remember from pre accident. It was very cool to be able to follow someone’s line on a trail I know would have been too hard in 2024. Ryan [Barbee] was awesome, very friendly and her basic life skills are unreal. I am very glad i decided to see if she was free that day.“
Every goal set through the Arcade Belt Goal Program is important. Whether or not a goal is ultimately completed is sometimes less significant than the process of working toward it.
Setting a goal requires an athlete to look forward, imagine what may be possible, and begin taking steps in that direction. The process can build confidence, reveal new strengths, create community, and teach athletes more about themselves.
Some goals result in podiums, Paralympic appearances, or hundreds of miles travelled. Others provide the independence to walk the dogs, return to a favourite trail, reconnect with a friend, or participate more fully in everyday life.
No matter the size or outcome, every goal reflects courage, effort, and a willingness to keep moving forward.
