It is hard to believe that just like that, another year has passed us by. For the most part 2022 was a great year. The world began to return to normal, High Fives was able to run in-person camps and events which we absolutely loved.

In addition to getting to see smiling faces at events and camps in places from Winter Park to Hawaii, we also were able to run three grant cycles in which we gave out 222 grants that included 99 new Athletes who we welcomed to the High Fives Ohana.

2022 quick stats

222 Grants

$731,500 Disbursed

15 Adaptive Camps

46 Athletes returned to the sports they love.

2022 was nothing out of the usual for High Fives Athletes, every Athlete worked out hard, and many of them were able to complete goals that they worked tirelessly toward.

With each new grant cycle and each year, we find ourselves looking back at past goals that Athletes had set and get an incredibly proud feeling. Athletes tend to set goals for themselves that are far from easy, but they rise to the occasion. They should feel very proud of the goals they set and were able to accomplish. We give them the platform to write down their goal. Other than that, it is almost exclusively on them to complete the goal.

We wanted to take some time to highlight these goals that were accomplished in 2022.

Name: Patrick Brown

Goal: Become an adaptive PSIA a certified instructor.

Completion Date: March 6th 2022

Getting my PSIA level 1 Adaptive Certification is not only about my independence but also about being able to give that independence to others. And hopefully, I am able to pass on the passion and enthusiasm I have for skiing not only to my students but to everyone I shred with.

Name: Anthony Drees

Goal: Complete self sufficiency on skies in any conditions.

Completion Date: Winter 2022

Completing this goal means regardless of my mobility challenges, I can still find that flow state. Skiing my Love Language 💯

Name: Steven Jacobo

Goal: My goal for this upcoming Parabobsled season is to place in the top 3 during one of the World Cup races.

– 2nd place Lake Placid Para Bobsled

-5th place world ranking

Name: Callaway Lewis

Goal: Return to Climbing at Stone Age and regain my climbing strength

Completion Date: January 2022

Climbing is a huge improvement from doing pullups on the trapeze in my hospital bed. I feel happy and strong that I am able to climb the walls, maybe even better than before. I am currently working on a 10c and an 11b. Climbing is empowering to me!

Name: Katie Combaluzier

Goal: Top 5 finish at a world cup sit ski event

Completion Date: Winter 2022

2022 World Para Snow Sports Championships – super combined – 2nd

2022 World Para Snow Sports Championships – giant slalom – 2nd

2022 World Para Snow Sports Championships – downhill – 3rd

When I received my grant from high fives I set myself a goal of placing top 5 in an World Cup sit ski race. I didn’t just place top 5, i had 5 World Cup and world championships podiums. It feels amazing to see my self not only achieving my goals but absolutely crushing them. It makes me hungry for more and drives me to keep pushing myself. Goals are an awesome way to gauge my progress and see my hard work pay off.

Name: Colin Cook

Goal: Push my surfing in competition and in bigger waves

Completion Date:

January 2022

I remember getting out of the hospital thinking my life was over, I didn’t know if I would be happy living if I couldn’t surf again. After my injury, it was my number 1 goal in life to stand up on a surfboard again and surf. Not kneel or lay on my stomach and ride a wave, I needed to stand up and surf the way I wanted to. For me to continue to push myself and my surfing is something that means a lot to me. With the support from High Five Foundation I’m able to do that and follow my passion!

Name: Nicole Palladino

Goal: Tackle a moderate bike trail with some incline/declines and wicked views in the mountains

Completion Date: June 2022

I played competitive soccer my whole life. Played at a varsity level here in Canada. I grew up close to the Rockies that playing in the mountains was a favourite past time. I LOVED to run. Any casual sport – you name it I’d play it. Getting out on the bike helps me stay connected to that part of me. Riding the bike means playing outside again. Means getting active again, and even more importantly means doing it (and keeping up with!!!!!) others.

Getting out riding bridges the gap in my life from longing for what I used to do to ENJOYING what I get to do, because for that ride – it all feels one in the same.

– Nicole Palladino

High Fives Athlete #407

Name: Kasey Aiello

Goal: Do a guided meditation and/or stretches every day for 100 days straight.

Completion Date: June 19,2022

100 days of listening to guided meditations has helped me slow down and just be present. My awareness and calm follows me throughout the day and is challenged on those hard days. I am grateful for this time with myself.

-Kasey Aiello

High Fives Athlete #228

Name: Jordan Koeninger

Goal 1: Access the surf independently, or with help of whoever is around. I.E. I have a beach chair I can push down to water myself, while someone carries my surfski.

Goal 2: Compete in adaptive surf comp

No wheelchair necessary! Face first, always overhead! Catching swell makes the push on land a breeze! Surf Ohana for life!! Forever Grateful to the HI5’s family 🤟

– Jordan Koeninger

High Fives Athlete #369

Name: Grayson Luther

Goal: My goal with this grant is to share the freedom of free flight

Completion Date: Summer 2022

it’s been unreal sharing the freedom of free flight with family, friends and people from all over the world. Ever since I started this sport I knew that my biggest goal was to share this passion with others and being able to do so on a daily basis is truly magical. Providing such an experience that brings immense joy, smiles and laughter makes my day every flight. Can’t thank High Fives enough for supporting me through this journey.

Name:Chris Waker

Goal:

Ride a bowhead down a Mtb trail!

Completion Date: Summer 2022

Having the Bowhead that High Fives helped me with has opened the doors of independence and freedom by exploring trails that I once thought were inaccessible

Name: Zachary Abblitt

Goal: I would love to try a 30+ mile trail that I use to do. This trail is near my hometown and is a reasonable goal that I could train for and enjoy with my friends.

a joyful heart is good medicine’, I believe that getting out and enjoying passions with friends is truly healing of itself.”

Every completed and uncompleted goal is important to us. Below are all goals recently completed by Athletes.

Way to go Athletes!

Sam Scribner: push myself completely independently on the trails around my home in Florida.

Trevor Kennison: Be mentally healthy and strong

Ronan Patel: By January of 2022, I would like to get my physical fitness regime established and be able to exercise consistently for at least 30 minutes per day.

Anthony Drees: Complete self-sufficiency on skis in any conditions.

Jason Abraham: Push a mile in under 10 minutes in my wheelchair rugby chair.

Skye Kerr: my goal is to be skiing by this winter! It looks really hard but I’m super excited to try it!

Annijke Wade: Learn Basic Bike Handling skills on the Bowhead Reach:

Christian Bui: To purchase the recumbent bike equipment within the year.

Brittany Shaney: My main goal is to work on strength training. I want to be able to complete a floor transfer without the help of others.

Britney Aston: I would like to start a consistent outdoor cycling regimen.

Jonah Karpman: Learning to drive.

Kendra Erhardt: Go hiking and travel internationally as a wheelchair user by the time I turn 30.

Nick Harris: Earn my associates degree in psychology 100% independently

Erik Johnson: 20 days snowboarding

David Tarro: To confidently transfer in the woods without assistance both to and from my hand-cycle and MTN-trike. The equipment upgrades this grant provided will improve my everyday chair in ways that create a stable and secure base for me to transfer from and back into on unstable and unpredictable surfaces.

Olivia Tonti: Catch big air on the mono

David Sagal: 25 days skiing

Rod Alavi: The goal is to loosen my tone/spasticty /manage it to enable me to start doing outdoor sports.

Andrew Kurka: Achieve consistent medals on the Word Cup circuit.

Hardie Kressler – I would like to become fully independent in the next 12 months.

Joshua Poore – Get out and ride a bike on trails!

Alina Petrik – Paraglide.

George Gonzalez – To be able to go from a sitting position to a standing position from my wheelchair with a walker.

Candy Dungan – I wanna be able to sit down/stand up from my couch using just my walker and ankle braces

Peter Park – Exercise 6 times a week

Hunter Pinke – Compete in a competitive wheelchair race at the collegiate/professional level.

Taylor Fiddyment – My goal is FLOOR TRANSFERS – phew! To be more specific, I want to be able to do a floor transfer independently.

Mathew Andrew: get into my bowhead and batec start to test drive it hopefully on some trails

Logan Lazarick: To independently complete a mountain bike trail ride in Nose Hill Park, Calgary or in Canmore, Alberta.

Eric Leversen: My goal is to be able to stand up from a chair without having to hold onto anything at all. This has been eluding me since the date of my injury.

Andrew Gallant: I would like to work towards training and becoming confident again to race.

Matt MacKay: In the first year find 5 local trails I can fit this bike on so I can start doing laps. Find at least 1 trail with jumps wide enough for this bike and see how it handles being off the ground.

Megan Wemmer: My goal is to stay active while I am healing from a pressure sore.