Ryan Bodine 

Goal

It isn’t easy to put into words how proud we are of  Ryan Bodine. His recovery, attitude, and work ethic has been nothing short of unbelievable. Of course, we all knew he was going to do amazing things but seeing the vision come to life was still something that brought a tear to all of our eyes.

While snowboarding at Sugar Bowl in January 2020, Ryan hit a jump in the terrain park with too much speed. He was sent flying through the air, past the landing, and came down on his back and head. This crash resulted in a C7 vertebrae burst fracture. Dr. Shane Abdunnur, a fellowship-trained neurological surgeon at Spine Nevada, performed spine surgery to repair the damaged area and stabilize and relieve pressure from his spine. “Dr. Abdunnur was excellent; it all went exactly as it was supposed to, and the care has been phenomenal,” said Yolanda, Ryan’s mom. Initially, Ryan was told he may never walk again, but he quickly began defying the odds. Within just 5 days Ryan began wiggling his toes. In 25 days, Ryan took his first steps. And now, just a year and a half since his accident. Ryan set his sights on Half Dome. Alongside his family (father, Rich Bodine; brother, Kellen Bodine; cousin, Lydia North; aunt, Tricia Urrutia) and ICU doctor turned life-long friend (Dr. Jared Worchel), this team had the goal to conquer the 4,800 vertical feet up the iconic rock to celebrate Ryan’s achievements and raise funds for the High Fives Foundation.

The Bodine family was behind Ryan the whole way and there is no doubt that it takes a strong family to create the resistance and tenacity that this young athlete exhibited through hours of rehabilitation, hospital visits, and uncertainty. All in all, we are honored and proud of Ryan and the future he has created for himself all the while inspiring and motivating those around him.

Hiking half dome was something I wanted to do since before my injury, so reaching the top was a special moment for me. It was so cool to peak over the edge and see the valley floor where we had begun, a reminder of the hard work that made this goal a reality. 

-Ryan Bodine

Thank you to you and the High Fives team for all you have done to help facilitate Ryan’s recovery goals. It’s been 19 months since his snowboarding accident, and although Spine Nevada’s Dr. Shane Abdunnar will always be our hero, High Fives Foundation has played a major role in Ryan’s healing. 

Roy started the mental healing process for our entire family just days after Ryan’s injury. Roy met with Ryan and promised him that he would surf again. On that day, Ryan could only move one toe! That day, High Fives gave Ryan and our family hope, and welcomed us as Ohana…”family”. 

Over the past 19 months, Ryan has experienced a remarkable recovery, and, by setting goals and staying positive, he has been able to walk again, to bike, to wakeboard, to skateboard, to snowboard and to surf. Inclusion in several High Fives Foundation events has stoked Ryan’s mental and physical recovery. Working out with his PT, Nikki, has made him stronger.  Ryan’s desire to hike Yosemite’s Half Dome was a big goal, and we recognized a great opportunity to give back to High Fives. We are incredibly grateful to our family and friends for supporting Ryan during his recovery process, and for supporting High Fives in their quest to help others athletes on their road to recovery. 

This week, as a family, we are accompanying Ryan to begin the next chapter… as a student at the University of Hawaii. And, yes, he brought his surfboard!

Thank you again, and high fives! 

– Rich Bodine (Ryan’s Father)

Hiking Half Dome with Ryan was an incredible experience that highlights the power of goals and family. Ryans family includes his immediate and extended family members and also the high-fives family, who together, worked tirelessly to keep his recovery on track and supported him over the last 18 months to maximize his recovery so he can do things like this. Family can only do so much though, Ryan’s lofty goals motivated him to show up to the gym, stay active in the outdoors, and make his dreams come true. Goals are so powerful because they provide hope and an achievable benchmark that motivates you and those around you. The day I got back to the hospital I started sharing our experience hiking Half Dome together with other patients who had just suffered their first injury and that hope started a new light for other patients to guide their recovery. My favorite memory from the trip is seeing Ryan look up at Half Dome from the top of subdome, and seeing the scar on his neck, and knowing he was ready to finish his goals and claim victory over circumstance. Very powerful stuff. Also great were Rich’s dad jokes, Lydia’s riddles, and the family comradery that comes with a good ol’ fashioned night in the woods. 

-Jared Worchel (Neuro Physicist and Outdoor enthusiast)

Summiting Half Dome and seeing Ryan already at the top was an incredible experience. I really enjoyed climbing the cables, as it was challenging, fun, and made me feel like I was in an action movie. The whole team was great to hike with, and we shared many interesting stories and riddles to help pass the time. We saw some amazing wildlife including two bobcats and a large rattlesnake, but made sure to keep our distance. 

– Kellen Bodine (Ryan’s Brother)

For me, the best part was when my phone rang, and it was Ryan saying he was at the top of Half Dome. I was at the Curry Village registration desk and the man checking me in heard the story and got choked up. I felt so proud as a Mom and I was just so happy that they made it safely and had fun doing it.  I loved hearing all the stories of the hike and seeing all the pictures. Difficult tasks always seem like an overwhelming challenge until you look back with awe and see how far you have come.

– Yolanda Bodine (Ryan’s Mother)

High Fives x Arcade Belt Goal Program

The Arcade Belt Program was put in place to provide our athletes with a system for setting goals. Similar to a karate belt system, athletes move through the ranks when they complete goals they set for themselves and receive a belt with stars corresponding to the goal number they accomplish.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARCADE BELT PROGRAM HERE