Daewon was snowboarding at purgatory mountain just outside of Durango, Colorado. Snow conditions weren’t that great and he decided to take some laps through the terrain park. He’d been doing the same simple tricks most of the afternoon, but on his last lap, snow conditions had changed and he caught the edge of the snowboard as he went off the lip of the jump. He blew beyond the landing and smacked the ground with his back. After he came to, he realized he couldn’t move his legs and that he was paralyzed. He was taken to the local hospital for surgery and a few days later was flown to a rehab hospital to begin his long road to adjusting to life with a T-11 sci.

When asked what High Fives means to Daewon, he responded – “I’ve been handcycling for over ten years. My hope with this new full suspension bike is that I will be able to ride faster and more aggressive terrain than I have been able to ride since I began.”