CALIFORNIA NON-PROFIT SENDS 24-YEAR-OLD INJURED EVANSVILLE SNOWBOARDER TO COLORADO’S PEAK CENTER WITH AN EMPOWERMENT GRANT

CONGRATULATIONS AND HIGH FIVE SCOTT WILL!

IN JANUARY 2015, SCOTT WILL SUSTAINED A SPINAL CORD INJURY SNOWBOARDING AT ARAPAHO BASIN, COLORADO. HE WAS RIDING WITH FRIENDS WHEN HE CAUGHT AN EDGE, LANDED ON HIS HEAD AND WOKE UP AT THE BASE OF A TREE IN THE WOODS, FAR AWAY FROM WHERE HE STARTED.

HE WAS STRANDED FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL SOMEONE EVENTUALLY FOUND HIM AND CALLED SKI PATROL. HE WAS FLOWN TO CRAIG HOSPITAL IN ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO WHERE HE WAS TOLD THAT HE SUSTAINED A COMPLETE T-12 SPINAL CORD INJURY.

SINCE HIS INJURY, WILL HAS IMPROVED HIS INDEPENDENCE SIGNIFICANTLY AS HE ADJUSTS TO LIFE IN A WHEELCHAIR. HE RECENTLY GRADUATED COLLEGE, AND HE IS RETURNING TO REHABILITATION AT THE PEAK CENTER AT CRAIG HOSPITAL IN ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO FOR THE SUMMER.

“THIS GRANT IS GOING TO ALLOW ME TO WORKOUT TWICE A DAY, FIVE DAYS PER WEEK,” SAID WILL. “BEING PART OF HIGH FIVES MEANS BEING ABLE TO WORK TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE KNOWING I HAVE AN INCREDIBLE SUPPORT SYSTEM BACKING ME THROUGHOUT MY WHOLE JOURNEY.”

PHOTO: SCOTT WILL WORKING OUT THE PEAK CENTER IN ENGLEWOOD COLORADO. PHOTO CRED SCOTT WILL

“SCOTT IS PREPARED TO POUR EVERY ONCE OF ENERGY INTO HIS RECOVERY,” SAID ROY TUSCANY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION. “HE’S A SERIOUSLY MOTIVATED INDIVIDUAL, AND HIS EFFORT IS TURNING TO TREMENDOUS RESULTS IN TERMS OF RECOVERY.”

INJURED BACKCOUNTRY SKIER RECEIVES GRANT FUNDING FOR CONTINUED REHAB AT THE PEAK CENTER

TRAINING WILL ALLOW MEGAN WEMMER TO SPEND MORE TIME OUT OF HER WHEELCHAIR

THE HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION IS AWARDING 33-YEAR-OLD MEGAN WEMMER AN EMPOWERMENT GRANT FOR MORE SESSIONS AT ENGLEWOOD’S PEAK CENTER.

“MY MAIN GOAL FOR 2016 IS TO SPEND MORE TIME ON FOOT AND OUT OF MY WHEELCHAIR,” SAID WEMMER.

WHILE ON A BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOUR IN THE ARAPAHOE NATIONAL FORREST WITH HER BOYFRIEND IN FEBRUARY 2015, WEMMER WAS SEARCHING FOR HER GLASSES IN THE HUT IN WHICH THEY WERE STAYING. WEMMER WENT TO CLIMB UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR WHEN THE LADDER GAVE OUT, CAUSING HER TO FALL DIRECTLY ON HER BACK FROM 12 FEET IN THE AIR. THE IMPACT LEFT HER UNABLE TO MOVE HER LOWER EXTREMITIES.

HER BOYFRIEND IMMEDIATELY HIKED OUT OF THE WILDERNESS AND SENT A RESCUE TEAM TO EXTRACT WEMMER FROM THE HUT. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT CRAIG HOSPITAL IN ENGLEWOOD, COLO., SHE WAS TOLD SHE HAD SUFFERED A BURST FRACTURE AT HER L1 VERTEBRAE AND A DISLOCATION OF HER T12 VERTEBRAE, LEAVING HER COMPLETELY PARALYZED FROM THE WAIST DOWN.

SINCE HER INJURY, SHE’S BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO CONDITION HER UPPER BODY SO THAT SHE CAN REMAIN AS ACTIVE AS SHE WAS PRIOR TO HER INJURY.

“I HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION AT THE PEAK CENTER, AND MY GOAL FOR THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MY INJURY IS TO SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY OUT OF MY WHEELCHAIR.” SAID WEMMER. “I HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND COORDINATION SINCE WORKING THERE.”

“MEGAN IS VERY GOAL ORIENTED, AND SHE IS AN INCREDIBLY HARD WORKER,” SAID ROY TUSCANY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION. “SHE’S A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE OF HIGH FIVES ATHLETES. IT TAKES HER LEVEL OF DETERMINATION TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN HER RECOVERY PROCESS.”

IN THE MONTH OF JUNE ALONE, THE HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION GRANTED $18,900 TO 6 HIGH FIVES ATHLETES.

HIGH FIVES ATHLETE RECEIVES EMPOWERMENT GRANT | TREVOR KENNISON

HIGH FIVES ATHLETE RECEIVES EMPOWERMENT GRANT | SCOTT WILL

HIGH FIVES ATHLETE RECEIVES EMPOWERMENT GRANT | DANIEL MURRAY

HIGH FIVES ATHLETE RECEIVES EMPOWERMENT GRANT | MEGAN WEMMER

HIGH FIVES ATHLETE RECEIVES EMPOWERMENT GRANT | DAVID HEWEL

HIGH FIVES ATHLETE RECEIVES EMPOWERMENT GRANT | JASON ABRAHAM