As anyone who is fortunate enough to find a great passion in life knows, it becomes who you are. People begin to define you as your passion, you think about it non stop, and it has great power over what you become. When your passion is something that involves risks you think about possible negative outcomes. Injury can be a part of the sport. While of course, no one wants to get hurt it is a possibility that all of us face every time we gear up.
Jay Davis knew the risk, he was defined as a pilot and a mountain biker. He had dedicated a large part of his life to these passions and on February 16, 2018, a mechanical failure with a plane changed his life forever.
Jay would come to learn that the plane crash had damaged his spinal cord, specifically the 6th and 7th cervical, meaning that he would have to overcome impairment in all four limbs. Jay was fortunate and gained good movement in his arm but deals with a lack of movement in his hands. None the less, Jay chose to face these adversities head-on. He pushed through and found a new outlook and appreciation for life.
Throughout his rehabilitation, trials and tribulations and the eventual breakthrough to the otherside. Jay showed everyone what was possible. He found himself again. However, there was one thing missing. Bikes. He set the goal to return to the sport that he loved so much.
“My recovery goal is simple: I want to ride a bike. Prior to my injury riding bikes wasnt a hobby, it was a way of life. I rode bikes every day whether I was training for Cyclocross season, hitting dirt jumps on my lunch break, or riding epic alpine terrain on the weekends. I spent every day on a bike.”
High Fives is proud to have a community of Athletes who look out for each other. When you have a spinal cord injury, it is much harder to do it on your own. Doctors,able-bodied friends and family are fantastic support but until one lives with a life-changing its hard to know exactly what you are dealing with.
Jay was able to reach out to High Fives Athletes Quinn Brett and Joe Stone and experience mountain biking again with the use of their Bowhead Adaptive mountain bikes. Quinn and Joe were kind enough to give Jay advice and share their thoughts on adaptive biking and then let him borrow their personal equipment to feel the joy that being on a bike brings.
Last year Jay applied for funding for a Bowhead adaptive mountain bike, and High was thrilled to be able to support him in his dream of getting back on the bike. Now Jay has his bike and can find the serenity and freedom that he longed for following his injury.
