East Coast Athletes | 2024 Grant Cycle 1

At High Fives Foundation, our mission is rooted in preventing life-changing injuries and providing resources and hope to those who face them. Through our Empowerment Fund, we strive to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals impacted by spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, or other mobility-limiting injuries incurred during outdoor adventure sports. As we culminate the first grant cycle of the year, we are thrilled to share the impactful outcomes achieved through the collective efforts of our team, supporters, and the resilient athletes we serve.

2024 Grant Cycle 1 Recap

From January 1st to January 31st, we embarked on our first grant cycle of the year, extending support to individuals injured in outdoor adventure sports. The cycle witnessed an outpouring of applications from across the nation, each embodying the spirit of determination and perseverance. After diligent review and consideration, we’re proud to announce that a total of $256,476 was funded, reaching a remarkable 99 athletes.

Of these grants, 55 were awarded to existing athletes within our network, while 44 opened doors for new athletes to access essential resources. The distribution spanned across the country, with 62 grants allocated to the West Coast, 16 to the East Coast, and 21 to the Central region, underscoring our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Meet the 16 Athletes from the East Coast for the 2024 Grant Cycle 1

Nolan Trowe

Meet Nolan

Tim Brown

Meet Tim

Kelsey O’Driscoll

Meet Kelsey

Paul Shaver

Meet Paul

Brayden Butler

Meet Brayden

Christopher Schmidt

Meet Christopher

Gregg Behnke

Meet Gregg

Jordan Erisman

Meet

Geoffrey Johnson

Meet Geoffrey

Cahin Perez

Meet Cahin

Edward Newell

Meet Edward

John Joseph Sams

Meet John Joseph

Jason Wilke

Meet Jason

Jose Guiliani

Meet Jose

Travis Daniel

Meet Travis

Ryan Manning

Meet Ryan

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Embedded within these statistics are the inspiring narratives of individuals who refuse to be defined by their injuries but instead choose to embrace life with unwavering determination and resilience.

The funds disbursed through Grant Cycle 1 facilitated the procurement of adaptive sports equipment, with 5 grants dedicated to adaptive surf equipment, 7 to snow sports equipment, and 19 to biking equipment, empowering athletes to pursue their passion for outdoor adventures safely and confidently. Additionally, our support extended beyond equipment, with grants allocated across various categories including:

  • Adaptive Equipment: 45 grants
  • Medical Equipment: 21 grants
  • Healing Network: 23 grants
  • Living Expenses: 3 grants
  • Programs: 6 grants
  • Emergency Expenses: 1 grant

These grants not only address immediate needs but also foster long-term healing, rehabilitation, and community integration, ensuring that our athletes receive comprehensive support on their journey to recovery and beyond. From the West Coast to the East Coast and Central regions, athletes like Daewon Rojas-Mickelson, Caroline Swanson, Travis Daniel, and Kevin Smith share their aspirations, goals, and gratitude for the support received from High Fives Foundation.

Meet the Central US Athletes HERE
quinn brett siting and smiling

Quinn Brett

Meet Quinn

Daniel Petermann

Meet Daniel

Candice Dungan

Meet Candice

Brooke Nelson

Meet Brooke

Allyson Mallory

Meet Allyson

Megan Wemmer

Meet Megan

David Tarro

Meet David

John Papai

Meet John

Kevin Smith

Meet Kevin

Dean Ahrens

Meet Dean

Terry “Dave” Cummings

Meet Terry

Nat Vorel

Meet Nat

Fang Her

Meet Fang

Becca Steinbrecher

Meet Becca

Jason Coleman

Meet Jason

Gerry Snieski

Meet Gerry

Joseph Zabel

Meet Joseph

Brian Biggs

Meet Brian

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Meet the West Coast Athletes HERE

Aven Elsberg

Meet Aven

Chloe Giroux

Meet Chloe

Barry Johnson

Meet Barry

Jason McCue

Meet Jason

Karl Whitcombe

Meet Karl

Annie Bi

Meet Annie

Michael Spivey

Meet Michael

Derek Meng Ho

Meet Derek

Sean McTearnen

Meet Sean McTearnen

Jason Wayne Simpson

Meet Jason Wayne

Jon Arnow

Meet Jon

Louis Meyer

Meet Louis

Arthur Ornelas

Meet Arthur

Neven Hart

Meet Neven

Judah Websdale

Meet Judah

Thomas Cornew

Meet Thomas

Caroline Swanson

Meet Caroline

Brock Leitner

Meet Brock

Jeremy Raeszler

Meet Jeremy

Cait Brown

Meet Cait

Max Moriyama

Meet Max

Trevor Giles

Meet Trevor

Andre Barbieri

Meet Andre

Ryan McConnaughey

Meet Ryan

Amanda Timm

Meet Amanda

Ryan Barbee

Meet Ryan

Sam Barco

Meet Sam

Connor May

Meet Connor

Luke Sharp

Meet Luke

Orion Owens

Meet Orion

RJ Roggeveen

Meet RJ

Eric Wang

Meet Eric

Patrick Davidson

Meet Patrick

Marshall Evans

Meet Marshall

Brian Cone

Meet Brian

Spencer Arnold

Meet Spencer

Andrew Peters

Meet Andrew

Casey Proud

Meet Casey

Anthony Giacinto

Meet Anthony

Laura Grabowski

Meet Laura

Mathew Andrew

Meet Mathew

Eric Leversen

Meet Eric

Alina Petrik

Meet Alina

Sean Kent

Meet Sean

Shelby Estocado

Meet Shelby

Jeff Andrews

Meet Jeff

Luke Eckenberg

Meet Luke

Bond Camp

Meet Bond

Thomas Cloyd

Meet Thomas

Kasey Aiello

Meet Kasey

Daewon Rojas-Mickelson

Meet Daewon

Bryan Noonan

Meet Bryan

Alex Uppenkamp

Meet Alex

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