HIGH FIVES ATHLETE RECEIVES EMPOWERMENT GRANT | KAILYN FORSBERG

16-year-old Kailyn Forsberg, receives continued grant funding from High Fives Foundation towards injury recovery

Empowerment Grant awarded for specialized treatments in Denver

Eagle County 16-year-old Kailyn Forsberg suffered a tragic spinal cord injury attempting a backflip during warmups for a competitive slope style event in April 2015.

The ski fall caused Forsberg to land directly on her neck. She instantly lost feeling in her lower extremities. The crash caused a complete C7 spinal cord injury.

She has endured a strong rehabilitation at Denver’s Craig Hospital and is continuing with a grant from California’s High Fives Foundation. The Empowerment Grant will allow Forsberg to continue training at the Peak Center and on the specialized FES bike.

Forsberg’s goal is to recover as much as is medically possible and to get back to doing the things she loves. This year she returned to skiing at Winter Park Resort learning on a specialized mono ski for paraplegic skiers. Eventually she would like to become a safety advocate in the action-sports community.

“I’m excited to continue my training towards recovery, and getting back to the things I love,” says Forsberg. “I look forward to helping future injured athletes navigate the recovery process and regain their independence.”

“In the past year, Kailyn has started to participate in more and more sports, from skiing to kayaking,” said Roy Tuscany, Executive Director of High Fives Foundation. “The sessions at the PEAK Center are only going to make her stronger and allow her to excel in all the sports she is taking on.”

Forsberg has already begun to share mentorship about life with a spinal cord injury to another young High Fives Athlete, 17-year-old Georgiana Burnside. Georgiana, also recovering at Craig Hospital, was injured in a ski accident at Snowmass in Aspen in March of 2015. The two athletes have become friends.

In the month of May alone, the High Fives Foundation granted $37,186 to 11 High Fives Athletes.

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Learn more about High Fives May Empowerment Grants

Western Region HERE

Central Region HERE

Eastern Region HERE

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