West | 2022 Empowerment Grant Cycle 2 Recap

Introducing: High Fives Cycle 2 2022 Empowerment Grant recipients

High Fives is very proud to introduce everyone to these new Athletes that we will be supporting through their recovery and onto whatever goals and adventures they can dream of.

Recovery and progression of one’s mind and body is a never-ending pursuit. These Athletes realize that setting goals and improving themselves is incredibly important. After one goal or adventure is complete, they know that that goal is possible and find ways to become better with the experience and skill created.

High Fives believes that these 21 new Athletes embody our values and will represent High Fives in amazing ways, and we cannot wait to see what they are able to accomplish.

Meet the Central | Grant Recipients HERE

Meet the East Coast | Grant Recipients HERE

Cycle 2 2022 Empowerment Grant Recipients

Tyler Allen | SCI T12
Saugus, CA

Tyler was riding his dirtbike in the dunes, and there was an unexpected drop that was roughly 30 feet to flat. When he landed, the compression was too much, and his T-12 vertebrae burst into pieces and left him with a spinal cord injury.

Life is what happens when you’re making other plans. -John Lennon

Adaptive Equipment-$6,500

Casey Proud | SCI T11/T12
Oceanside, CA

Casey was injured on February 4th, 2017, while snowboarding on Mount Shasta. It had rained the night before, and the snow was stickier than normal. Despite this, he decided to go on his usual jump runs. In his second jump, he decided to do a simple 180…however just before he took off, he hit a small, sticky patch of snow at the top of the jump. Instead of rotating horizontally, he fell forward, somersaulting, and landed on his back right on the hip of the landing zone of the jump. Immediately, through the other pain in his back, he realized he couldn’t feel his legs.

For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love -Carl Sagan

$3,500- Medical Equipment

Spencer Arnold | SCI C4
Chilliwack BC, CAN

Spencer was mountain biking on Vedder Mountain with some friends. He was going over a wood feature, slipped on a root, and missed the next feature on the trail. He went over the bars and landed on his head. Search and Rescue was called and he was airlifted off the mountain. He was taken to the hospital to get surgery and begin his recovery.

Live, Laugh, Love

$5,000-Adaptive Equipment

Byron Green | SCI C5
Brentwood Bay, BC, CAN

Byron was injured while mountain biking. He went too slow off of a drop, and the front tire hit the ground first, throwing him over the handlebars, where he landed on his head.

You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.

$5,000-Adaptive Equipment

Brian Hart | SCI C4
Santa Cruz, CA

Brian was surfing steamer lane when a freak accident occured. He hit the rock cliff and broke his back and neck in several places.

Never Give Up

$2,000 – Adaptive Equipment

Brian Cone | SCI C4
Salt Lake City, UT

Brian was injured while riding his bicycle on a paved bike path. There was a gate across the path that he did not see, and he hit it with his neck

2. Doing your best is good enough. – Bill Cone

$3,000 – Healing Network

Matt Tychsen | SCI T6
Salt Lake City, UT

Matt was in a dirt biking accident in the St. Anthony Sand Dunes in Idaho. He rode the Dunes with limited light and went over an edge he didn’t see coming. Luckily he remembers none of it!

Still gonna send it!

$4,500 – Adaptive Equipment

Mark Pfister | SCI C5
Ben Lomond, CA

Mark was mountain biking on a very familiar trail in Santa Cruz after work, as had been done hundreds of times before. He was dropping into a descent when his crank arm caught a root and launched him airborne into a spin. He landed directly on his neck and heard his neck go pop, pop, pop while he rolled down to a stop, unable to move.

BREATH IN—BREATH OUT….ENJOY THE RIDE!!

$4,000 – Adaptive Equipment

Pat Lynn | SCI C3
Sequim, WA

Pat broke his neck while I was on a service trip in the Dominican republic. He dove into a river headfirst and it changed his life forever

You only have one life so, live it on purpose and for a purpose.

$1,000 – Adaptive Equipment

Patrick Davidson | SCI T11
Diablo, CA

Patrick was on the final day of a spectacular archery trip to the Maroon Bells Wilderness near Aspen Colorado. The official trip had ended and he had dropped his friend off at the airport to return home. He went out for a final morning hike before departing and on the final 100 yard stretch, fell off a 40′ cliff. He broke 15 ribs, punctured lung, lacerated liver, and a complete break of T-11.

When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. When you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack.

$5,000 – Adaptive Equipment

David Nicholls | SCI C5
Park City, UT

Dave was a NCAA Ski Racer who was hit from behind by an out of control snowboarder while training

If not now, when?

$2,500 – Adaptive Equipment

Marshall Evans | SCI T12
West Jordan, UT

Marshall was driving his side by side at the Sand dunes. He tried to write his initials in the sand when he ended up flipping the machine at the top of a 600-foot tall sand hill. He was half ejected from the roll cage and got squished by the machine and paralyzed. When he stopped rolling the machine landed on top of him

If you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve gotta be tough.

Funding towards a Bowhead Mountain Bike

Nicholas Miles | SCI C4
Lakeside, AZ

Nicholas was skiing when he lost a ski resulting in him crashing and sliding into a tree. He hit his head, causing several vertebrae fractures, a cracked skull and brain bleed, fractured scapula, broken sternum, and fractured ribs. He does not remember the injury, and the people present could not see too well because of the snow flying up.

Life is short and it is here to be lived

$1,000 – Programs

Bassem Mansour | Life Changing
El Dorado Hills, CA

While Bassem was riding his bike, he was hit by a pickup truck hauling a trailer and dragged underneath for 50 feet. He sustained over 14 fractures. Broke his C7, T2-T5 vertebrae and almost lost his left leg. He was. airlifted to the UC Davis trauma center and was hospitalized for 9 weeks. His accident happened on October 6th, 2020.

Live life to the fullest

$5,000 – Adaptive Equipment

Carol Engstrom | Amputation Below Knee
Calgary, AB, CAN

Early one morning, Carol went for a bike ride with her friend. They were cycling along a stretch of highway when she was sucked under the draft of a transport truck. She suffered major trauma, which resulted in her right leg being amputated below the knee and a traumatic brain injury. She was in a coma for two weeks and in rehab for six months.

Carpe diem!

$3,700 – Adaptive Equipment

Matt Etzell | SCI T11
Las Vegas, NV

While surfing, Matt hyperextended his back, which cut off blood flow at the thoracic (T-11) vertebrae level. This caused him to lose function below the waist over two hours slowly. This rare injury is known as Surfers Myelopathy.