EAGLE, COLO. NATIVE TO RECEIVE AN EMPOWERMENT GRANT FROM TAHOE-BASED HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION FOLLOWING SPINAL CORD INJURY
The High Fives Foundation is awarding 17-year old Kailyn Forsberg an Empowerment Grant of $1,464 to be used toward vital personal training sessions.
In April 2015, on her second warm up run in the USASA Slopestyle Nationals at Copper Mountain in Colorado, Forsberg hit a jump with too much speed in the terrain park causing her to over-rotate her backflip and overshoot the landing. The impact to her neck and back instantly resulted in loss of feeling in her lower extremities.
When Forsberg arrived at the trauma center, she and her family were told that she had suffered a spinal cord injury at the C7 level.
Since her injury, Kailyn has worked tirelessly with therapists at Craig Hospital, and most recently at the facilities PEAK Center in Englewood, Colo. The hard work Forsberg has put in has certainly paid off as she has experienced tremendous gains in her recovery. The board-approved Empowerment Grant for $1,464 will be used toward personal training at the PEAK Center so that Forsberg can continue on a positive path of recovery.
“Craig Hospital boasts one of the best training grounds for SCI in its’ PEAK Center,” said Roy Tuscany, Executive Director of the High Fives Foundation. “Kailyn has an amazing attitude and trainers at the facility love working with her.”
“Our need is to get the best possible care and rehabilitation for Kailyn,“ said Mitchell Forsberg, Kailyn’s father. “Teaming up with with High Fives is one critical way to help accomplish this goal.”
The High Fives Foundation supports injured mountain action sports athletes through grant funding to be used towards reaching their recovery goals. Since the Foundation’s January 2009 inception, the Empowerment program service has assisted 147 athletes from 27 states in nine respective funding categories which include: living expenses, insurance, travel, health, healing network, adaptive equipment, winter equipment, programs and “stoke” (positive energy, outlook and attitude).
In Quarter 1 of 2017 the High Fives Foundation disbursed $119,294.50 in board-approved grants to 20 athletes in 6 states.
