High Fives Provides me with My Access- Landon McGauley
Access To My” is a 5 part video-series that allows High Fives to show donors and partners the direct impact and life-changing value that their support has on the High Fives Athletes and their families.
High Fives Provides me, Landon McGauley, Access to my Community
ac·cess
/ˈakˌses/
Landon was all smiles the first time adaptive mountain biking on a High Fives camp
HIGH FIVES IS PROUD TO BE THERE TO WITNESS AND PROVIDE THE HELP AND SUPPORT FOR OUR ATHLETES TO DO THINGS THAT THEY MAY HAVE NOT THOUGHT WERE EVER POSSIBLE.
SEEING AN ATHLETE GO THROUGH A LIFE-CHANGING INJURY AND HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT WHETHER THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS AND DREAMS IS TOUGH BUT SEEING THEM COME UP WITH IDEAS AND CREATE GOALS THAT GO TOWARDS A BIGGER PICTURE OF LIFELONG DREAMS IS ALWAYS INCREDIBLE.
THIS IS HOW HIGH FIVES HAS HELPED OUR GREAT FRIEND AND ATHLETE LANDON MCGAULEY ACHIEVE ACCESS TO HIS COMMUNITY.
GROWING UP IN NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA, LANDON WAS RAISED WITH MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS AND JUMPS ALL AROUND HIM. BEING SURROUNDED BY THIS ENVIRONMENT FROM SUCH AN EARLY AGE, HE CAUGHT THE MOUNTAIN BIKE BUG EARLY ON IN LIFE.
LANDON BEGAN SPENDING ANY FREE TIME HE HAD ON MOUNTAIN BIKE-RELATED ACTIVITIES, WHETHER IT BE RIDING, DIGGING TRAILS, OR WORKING ON BIKES. HIS LIFE QUICKLY BECAME THIS WORLD.
THE COMMUNITY HE WAS CLOSEST TO WAS THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO, LIKE HIM, SPENT ALL THEIR TIME MOUNTAIN BIKING OR DIGGING TRAILS.
DURING A MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE IN JULY OF 2010, LANDON’S LIFE CHANGED. HE WENT OVER THE HANDLEBARS 50 YARDS FROM THE FINISH LINE. THE CRASH BROKE HIS BACK AND DAMAGED HIS SPINAL CORD INJURY AT THE T4 LEVEL
A SPINAL CORD INJURY IS NEVER EASY TO GO THROUGH. LANDON WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH HIS REHAB AND REGAIN INDEPENDENCE, BUT WHEN HE RETURNED HOME HE REALIZED THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS STILL GOOD FRIENDS WITH THE MOUNTAIN BIKERS, THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY WAS GONE. IT WAS MOUNTAIN BIKING THAT HAD CONNECTED THEM, BUT NOW THAT WASN’T THERE – THINGS FELT DIFFERENT.
HIGH FIVES BROUGHT LANDON DOWN TO TAHOE TO LEARN HOW TO SIT-SKI IN JANUARY OF 2011. IMMEDIATELY, HE FIT IN WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS HIGH FIVES.
LANDON QUICKLY BECAME A REGULAR AT HIGH FIVES CAMPS AND EVENTS. HE BEGAN TRAVELING ALL OVER THE STATES TO ATTEND SURF, SKI, WATERSKI CAMPS, AND MORE WITH HIGH FIVES STAFF AND ATHLETES.
HE WAS BEGINNING TO BUILD ANOTHER COMMUNITY – THE HIGH FIVES COMMUNITY. THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT HIGH FIVES AND THE AMAZING ATHLETES WHO CAME ON THESE TRIPS BECAME THE PEOPLE THAT HE HAD THE MOST IN COMMON WITH AND COULD RELATE TO.
NOW THAT LANDON HAD A COMMUNITY OF LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS HE RELATED TO THINGS WERE BETTER, BUT THE PASSION FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING HAD NOT GONE AWAY.
LAST SUMMER, HIGH FIVES PARTNERED WITH A BIKE COMPANY OUT OF CALGARY AND BROUGHT IN A NEW VERY CAPABLE TYPE OF MOUNTAIN BIKE. LANDON IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH A NEW WAY TO MOUNTAIN BIKE.
SINCE HIGH FIVES INTRODUCED LANDON TO MOUNTAIN BIKING AGAIN, HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO RIDE WITH MANY FRIENDS THAT HE TRULY THOUGHT HE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO RIDE WITH AGAIN. THIS IS HOW LANDON GOT BACK HIS ACCESS TO COMMUNITY.
