#HighFivesAthlete Scott Will joins the High Fives Foundation in Santa Cruz for the 2nd adaptive surf camp hosted by the foundation this year!
WRITTEN AND CREATED BY PROGRAM SERVICES MANAGER, STEVE WALLACE
In January 2015, Scott Will of Evansville, Indiana sustained a spinal cord injury while snowboarding at Arapahoe Basin, Colo. While riding with good friends, Will caught an edge, landed on his head and woke up in a tree well in the trailside woods. He laid there for over an hour until someone eventually found him, called ski patrol, and he was eventually flown to Craig Hospital where he was told that he sustained a complete T-12 spinal cord injury.
Will has always been a very motivated individual, and that didn’t stop when he entered the world of spinal cord injury recovery. It was very important to him and his family that he graduate college, which he did, in the Fall of 2016. He continues to train tirelessly at Craig Hospital’s PEAK Center, and to pair with his gym hours, he has been searching for adaptive recreation opportunities.
Will had always had a desire to surf, and was a shoe-in for High Five the Wave Santa Cruz Adaptive Surf Camp.Program Services Manager, Steve Wallace
Will is employed by Enabling Technologies (adaptive equipment manufacturer) in Colorado, and he has a background in the adaptive technology world. Most of his knowledge lies around mountain sports, so he was eager to get in the water and see what the ocean had to offer.
“On day one in Santa Cruz, I was able to experience catching a wave for the first time,” said Scott Will. “The feeling was infectious; being on top of that massive force of moving water is one of the coolest feelings in the world.”
Along with catching waves, Will enjoyed getting to know the rest of the High Fives camp participants.
“My favorite part about the camp was the comradery that everyone shared throughout the week,” said Will. “We all were out there to have a great time and push each other's limits and that was just awesome.”#HighFivesAthlete, Scott Will
Will spent his camp becoming friends with the Pacific Ocean, learning a new sport and meeting new people. Throughout the week Will switched back and forth between a waveski (a sport combining the paddle power of a sit on top kayak with the manoeuvrability and performance of a surfboard) and surfing prone on a regular surfboard. Whatever way he choses to ride the wave, Will’s smile showed that he loved every minute of it.
“Being involved in the High Fives surf camps over the last couple of years has brought a new meaning to my life. Watching individuals like Scott who had never surfed before, pre or post injury, embrace the sport of surfing like he did is why we invite new athletes to the camps.” Said Jeff Robertson, High Fives Adaptive Camp Coordinator. “His connection to the water, trying the different types of wave riding vehicles we had and ultimately catching his own waves on a waveski as well as normal surfboard is truly inspiring.”
