Many who have experienced serious events speak of their lives as if they had occurred in two parts: the "before" and the "after." As a former gymnast, marathon runner, strength coach, and skydiver, I lived my “previous life” with reckless abandon, my first love always being the thrill of a challenge. Unfortunately, no challenge would prove greater than that of May 24, 1997, when I hit the ground skydiving at 100 miles an hour, leaving me paralyzed from the waist down. In my competitive fervor, I brought myself to the brink of death, for which I take 100% responsibility. My life experiences since then have become a mission to touch, move, and inspire others, especially when dealing with the seemingly "impossible."

The damage to my body did not prevent me from returning to competitive sports. I began competing (9 months after I "hit the ground") as a wheelchair athlete in the 1998 Los Angeles Marathon. I have since competed in dozens of marathons, triathlons, and countless duathlons, 5K, and 10K races. In Colorado, I relearned downhill skiing as a disabled skier. June 7, 1999 (two years and two months from "hitting the ground”), marked the successful completion of my participation in the 56-day, 3,600-mile Transcontinental Triathlon from Santa Barbara, California, to New York City. I was one of only two wheelchair triathletes on the US National Team and have participated in 7 World Championships. In 2004, I won the silver medal at the World Triathlon Championships in Portugal, and in the 2006 National Championships in NYC, I won the gold. In 2007, I became one of the founders of BODi (formally Team Beachbody) and have played an integral part in helping tens of thousands of people transform their lives through exercise and healthy nutrition. I met Dr. Jon Petrick in 2010 and fell in love with the program once he introduced me to NV Outdoor Adventures (formerly known as KISMIF (Keep It Simple Make It Fun). I am committed to building NV Outdoor Adventures into a program that not only positively impacts the lives of locally disabled individuals and volunteers, but also sees us having a national presence and offering opportunities worldwide.