High Fives Provides me with My Access- Sam Summers

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, Sam Summers, Access to Outdoor Adventures

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This was Sam on her first-ever High Five trip and her first-time adaptive surfing, she may have been nervous but she did not show it.

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 SAM SUMMERS ACHIEVE ACCESS TO HER OUTDOOR ADVENTURE.

SAM GREW UP IN MARYLAND. AS A CHILD SHE DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR ADVENTURE AND FOUND GREAT ENJOYMENT IN HER TIME SPENT OUTDOORS, CHALLENGING HER FITNESS WHILE FINDING SOLITUDE AND CLARITY. SHE QUICKLY BECAME A GREAT SKIER, MOUNTAIN BIKER, AND ROAD CYCLIST – WHATEVER ALLOWED HER TO BE OUTSIDE IS WHAT SAM WOULD DO. 

SAM’S COMMUNITY BECAME THE PEOPLE WHO EMBODIED HER PASSION FOR ADVENTURE AND THE OUTDOORS: THOSE WHO WERE COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE WHILE ON A BIKE EXPEDITION IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE OR A SKI TRIP DEEP INTO THE BACKCOUNTRY. THIS WAS THE COMMUNITY SAM WAS CLOSEST TO.

UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE ON A SEEMINGLY MELLOW ROAD CYCLE RIDE, SAM WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE. THE COLLISION WITH THE CAR BROKE HER BACK, LEAVING HER PARALYZED AT THE T8 LEVEL.

AS ANYONE GOING THROUGH A LIFE-CHANGING INJURY WOULD, SAM WENT THROUGH SOME TOUGH TIMES. IT WAS NEVER EASY, BUT SAM TOOK THE NEWS OF HER NEW LIFE AS POSITIVELY AS POSSIBLE AND DECIDED TO NOT LET THE INJURY GET THE BEST OF HER. SHE PUT HER MIND INTO THE TASK OF REHABILITATION, JUST AS SHE HAD FULLY EMBRACED A CHALLENGE BEFORE. ALTHOUGH SHE WAS SITTING DOWN SHE WAS STILL THE DETERMINED YOUNG WOMAN SHE HAD ALWAYS BEEN. 

SHE WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD, PUTTING IN LONG HOURS OF THERAPY. AFTER HER TIME AT THE HOSPITAL, SHE LEFT WITH A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE. THINGS WERE DIFFERENT BUT IT WASN’T GOING TO STOP HER. SHE WAS GOING TO FIND WAYS TO CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS SHE LOVED MOST. 

WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WITNESS AND HELP PROVIDE RESOURCES TO SAM TO HELP HER RETURN TO THE OUTDOORS. SHE CAME TO A CAMP TO LEARN HOW TO ADAPTIVE SURF FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IT WAS CLEAR SHE WAS GOING TO FIT IN. SHE CHARGED OUT INTO THE WAVES WITH A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED CATCHING WAVES. SHE ALSO CAME TO A HIGH FIVES SKI CAMP TO LEARN HOW TO SIT-SKI. SHE BROUGHT THE SAME FRIENDLY DEMEANOR AND DETERMINED ATTITUDE TO THAT CAMP AND PICKED UP SIT SKIING AS WE ALL THOUGHT SHE WOULD. ALTHOUGH SITSKIING IS VERY HARD TO LEARN SAM TOOK IT AS A CHALLENGE AND CONTINUED TO GET UP AFTER EVERY FALL AND GET THE SKI POINTED BACK DOWN THE HILL. 

HIGH FIVES IS INCREDIBLY PROUD OF SAM AND HAS BEEN FORTUNATE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO SAM TO GIVE HER HER ACCESS TO OUTDOOR ADVENTURE.