Date of Injury: 9/2/2017

Cause of Injury: Hiking accident

VVF Scholarship: Recovery Training Sessions

What are you Facing, Embracing, Defying and Conquering? On September 2nd, 2017, my love for the outdoors drove me to go hiking with a cousin in Sequoia National Forest. I missed my step & tumbled 50ft off a cliff which left me with a T9 Complete Spinal Cord injury.

How do you FACE it? I face it with a positive and optimistic mindset.

How do you EMBRACE it? I embrace it by waking up every day with gratitude for all that I have and thankful for being able to live another day.

How do you DEFY it? I constantly push myself to get out of my comfort zone and try things that I was told I’d never be able to do again.

How do you CONQUER it? I adapt and overcome. There’s no such thing as “I can’t” when you have the mindset of “How can I?”

What does this scholarship from VVF mean to you? I am grateful for this opportunity. I have been attending physical therapy since my accident and have seen tremendous progress. This scholarship allows me to continue beating the odds by practicing walking.