West Coast & Canada Athletes | 2024 Grant Cycle 1

At High Fives Foundation, our mission is rooted in preventing life-changing injuries and providing resources and hope to those who face them. Through our Empowerment Fund, we strive to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals impacted by spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, or other mobility-limiting injuries incurred during outdoor adventure sports. As we culminate the first grant cycle of the year, we are thrilled to share the impactful outcomes achieved through the collective efforts of our team, supporters, and the resilient athletes we serve.

2024 Grant Cycle 1 Recap

From January 1st to January 31st, we embarked on our first grant cycle of the year, extending support to individuals injured in outdoor adventure sports. The cycle witnessed an outpouring of applications from across the nation, each embodying the spirit of determination and perseverance. After diligent review and consideration, we’re proud to announce that a total of $256,476 was funded, reaching a remarkable 99 athletes.

Of these grants, 55 were awarded to existing athletes within our network, while 44 opened doors for new athletes to access essential resources. The distribution spanned across the country, with 62 grants allocated to the West Coast, 16 to the East Coast, and 21 to the Central region, underscoring our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Meet the 62 Athletes from the West Coast and Canada for the 2024 Grant Cycle 1

Aven Elsberg

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Aven

Chloe Giroux

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Chloe

Barry Johnson

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Barry

Jason McCue

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Jason

Karl Whitcombe

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Karl

Annie Bi

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Annie

Michael Spivey

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Michael

Derek Meng Ho

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Derek

Sean McTearnen

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Sean McTearnen

Jason Wayne Simpson

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet

Jon Arnow

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Jon

Louis Meyer

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Louis

Arthur Ornelas

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Arthur

Neven Hart

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Neven

Judah Websdale

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Judah

Thomas Cornew

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Thomas

Caroline Swanson

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Caroline

Brock Leitner

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Brock

Jeremy Raeszler

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Jeremy

Cait Brown

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Cait

Max Moriyama

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Max

Trevor Giles

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Trevor

Andre Barbieri

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Snowboarding

Meet Andre

Ryan McConnaughey

ADAPTIVE SPORT

MTB

Meet Ryan

Amanda Timm

ADAPTIVE SPORT

aMTB

Meet Amanda

Ryan Barbee

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Ryan

Sam Barco

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Mountain Bike

Meet Sam

Connor May

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Flying

Meet Connor

Luke Sharp

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Dirt

Meet Luke

Orion Owens

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Surf

Meet Orion

RJ Roggeveen

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Surf

Meet RJ

Eric Wang

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Eric

Patrick Davidson

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Patrick

Marshall Evans

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Mountain Bike

Meet Marshall

Brian Cone

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Brian

Spencer Arnold

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Mountain Biking

Meet Spencer

Andrew Peters

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Mountain Biking

Meet Andrew

Casey Proud

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Surfing

Meet Casey

Anthony Giacinto

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Anthony

Laura Grabowski

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Laura

Mathew Andrew

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Mountain Bike

Meet Mathew

Eric Leversen

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Eric

Alina Petrik

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Speedflying

Meet Alina

Sean Kent

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Sean

Shelby Estocado

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Baseball

Meet Shelby

Jeff Andrews

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Surf

Meet Jeff

Luke Eckenberg

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Luke

Bond Camp

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Bond

Thomas Cloyd

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Thomas

Kasey Aiello

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Kasey

Daewon Rojas-Mickelson

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Daewon

Bryan Noonan

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Bryan

Alex Uppenkamp

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Alex

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Embedded within these statistics are the inspiring narratives of individuals who refuse to be defined by their injuries but instead choose to embrace life with unwavering determination and resilience.

The funds disbursed through Grant Cycle 1 facilitated the procurement of adaptive sports equipment, with 5 grants dedicated to adaptive surf equipment, 7 to snow sports equipment, and 19 to biking equipment, empowering athletes to pursue their passion for outdoor adventures safely and confidently. Additionally, our support extended beyond equipment, with grants allocated across various categories including:

  • Adaptive Equipment: 45 grants
  • Medical Equipment: 21 grants
  • Healing Network: 23 grants
  • Living Expenses: 3 grants
  • Programs: 6 grants
  • Emergency Expenses: 1 grant

These grants not only address immediate needs but also foster long-term healing, rehabilitation, and community integration, ensuring that our athletes receive comprehensive support on their journey to recovery and beyond. From the West Coast to the East Coast and Central regions, athletes like Daewon Rojas-Mickelson, Caroline Swanson, Travis Daniel, and Kevin Smith share their aspirations, goals, and gratitude for the support received from High Fives Foundation.

Meet the Central US Athletes HERE
quinn brett siting and smiling

Quinn Brett

ADAPTIVE SPORT

CLIMB

Meet Quinn

Daniel Petermann

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Daniel

Candice Dungan

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Skate

Meet Candice

Brooke Nelson

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Brooke

Allyson Mallory

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Allyson

Megan Wemmer

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Megan

David Tarro

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Hiking

Meet David

John Papai

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet John

Kevin Smith

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Kevin

Dean Ahrens

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Skiing

Meet Dean

Terry “Dave” Cummings

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Terry

Vincen Liddle

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Wakeboard

Meet Vincen

Nat Vorel

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Nat

Fang Her

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Fang

Becca Steinbrecher

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Becca

Jason Coleman

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Jason

Gerry Snieski

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Gerry

Joseph Zabel

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Joseph

Brian Biggs

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Brian

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Meet the East Coast Athletes HERE

Nolan Trowe

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Nolan

Tim Brown

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Ski

Meet Tim

Kelsey O’Driscoll

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Surf

Meet Kelsey

Paul Shaver

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Bike

Meet Paul

Brayden Butler

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Rock Climbing

Meet Brayden

Christopher Schmidt

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Dirt

Meet Christopher

Gregg Behnke

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Cycling

Meet Gregg

Jordan Erisman

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet

Geoffrey Johnson

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Geoffrey

Cahin Perez

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Cahin

Edward Newell

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Edward

John Joseph Sams

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet John Joseph

Jason Wilke

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Jason

Jose Guiliani

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Jose

Travis Daniel

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Travis

Ryan Manning

ADAPTIVE SPORT

Meet Ryan

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