Professional snowboarder Chris Wakerโs life changed in an instant following a life-altering spinal cord injury. Despite a bleak prognosis, Chris chose to persevere, focusing on rehabilitation and inspiring others. With the support of the High Fives Foundation, Chris returned to adaptive skiing, surfing, and mountain biking. The High Fives Foundation, founded by Roy Tuscany, aids athletes with severe injuries through financial and emotional support. In addition to providing Chris with the equipment and training to become an adaptive athlete, they converted a van with added mobility adaptations to ensure he can travel with ease and continue empowering others.
Choosing Perseverance in the Face of Adversity
Nothing quite compares to the feeling of pulling up to the mountain on a crisp winter morning. The sun barely shining above the trees, making the fresh powder sparkle in its light. With boots on, jacket zipped, and helmet buckled, catching the first chair of the day up the mountain. Soon followed by the thrill of zipping past the trees as you pick up speed, floating through the snow beneath you.
Itโs an adrenaline rush that those who love to ski and snowboard know very well, and Chris Waker was no more immune to the inescapable call of the mountains than any other outdoor enthusiast. Born and raised in Vermont, Chris fell in love with snowboarding at a young age. Drawn to the thrill of the sport, all else paled in comparison to the joy of speeding down the slope and launching off the walls of the half pipe. When he wasnโt snowboarding, Chris chased adventure as he surfed and mountain biked through the off-season.
His love of snowboarding only grew as he began competing professionally. Chris competed on the FIS World Cup Circuit, at the FIS World Snowboard Championships, and Dew Tour Events. While competing, he moved from Vermont to Breckenridge, Colorado, and quickly fell in love with coaching. In 2019, he was even honored as the โSnowboard Coach of the Yearโ by the US Ski and Snowboard Association.
On Christmas Eve in 2020, Chris felt that familiar thrill as he and a friend went over the hill to snowboard at Copper Mountain. Enjoying a beautiful early season day on the mountain, time stopped when Chris caught an edge coming out of the park and drove his neck directly into the snow. Laying there as his friend attempted to help him, Chris realized he couldnโt feel 80% of his body. An injury to his spinal cord had left him paralyzed from the neck down.
Chris Wakerโs Miraculous Recovery with the Help of the High Fives Foundation
The initial shock of the injury was quickly replaced by the stark realization that his life would never be the same again. Chris immediately began to think about all the sports he loved to do and worried he would never be able to experience them again. Although it seemed that his life was over, Chris understood that it was up to him to decide whether to dwell on what he lost or focus on getting better and getting back to doing what he loved.
Although โthe doctors’ prognosis seemed bleak, Chris’s indomitable spirit refused to be defined by his circumstances.โ Instead, he was determined to persevere through rehabilitation to inspire others to embrace their challenges, build strong communities, understand the power of small victories, and embrace vulnerability.
Just over two years of physical therapy and rehabilitation later, Chris achieved the impossible. In January of 2023, he joined the High Fives Foundation adaptive skiing camp at Winter Park in Colorado and skied for the first time since his injury. Joined by several other adaptive skiers, Chris found community and support as he fell back in love with the slopes. Finally, Chris could experience the thrill and rush of adrenaline that initially drew him to the snow in the first place.
Through the help and support of the High Fives Foundation, Chris was given the priceless gift of returning to the sport he loved. Using a bi-ski and with the help of a mentor, Chris learned how to use handheld outriggers to ski down the slope on a sit ski. This adaptive tool allowed him to enjoy the familiar magic of riding on the slopes and regain more independence.
The High Fives Foundation | A Beacon of Hope and Positivity
The CEO and founder of the High Fives Foundation, Roy Tuscany, created it with a mission to support athletes and veterans like Chris, who have suffered a life-altering injury. At the pinnacle of his professional skiing career, Roy also suffered a spinal cord injury while skiing that left him partially paralyzed. But he was determined not to let his story end there. Laser-focused on keeping a positive outlook, Roy spent his time recovering, greeting every visitor and hospital employee with a high five.
Following his miraculous recovery and return to the slopes, Roy was determined to be the light that supported and encouraged other athletes or veterans in similar situations.ย So, in 2009, he started theย High Fives Foundation.ย Based out of Truckee, California, this national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization strives to help athletes come back from spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and other life-altering conditions. Through the avenues of financial support, emotional encouragement, and a supportive community, the High Fives Foundation is a beacon of hope.
โThe foundation thrives on the simple yet powerful act of a โHigh Five,โ symbolizing not just a physical gesture but a commitment to support athletes through their recovery journey. It stands not just as a charity organization but as a living narrative of overcoming adversity, transforming setbacks into comebacks, and proving that, with enough determination and community support, any summit can be conquered.โ
Through the support of the High Fives Foundation, Chris has been able to get back into all of the sports that he loves. In addition to helping him get back on the snow with the bi-ski, the foundation has also helped Chris get an adaptive surfboard to get back out on the waves and an adaptive mountain bike so he can hit the trails again.
Chris Wakerโs Adaptive Van Powered by Battle Born Batteries
The impact of the High Fives Foundationโs unwavering support on Chrisโ journey to recovery simply canโt be understated. In addition to helping countless other athletes and veterans like him, the foundation played a pivotal role in helping Chris get back his same quality of life post-injury. Their generous empowerment fund has provided Chris with the financial support to complete necessary home renovations, access healing networks, and get new, adaptive sports equipment.
But their support doesnโt end there. When Chirs isnโt experiencing the thrill of the mountain or catching a wave, he is traveling to events and conferences across the country as a keynote speaker. He uses the adversity heโs faced and overcome to inspire and empower listeners to take on challenges in their own lives. Between his recreational activities and speaking engagements, Chris frequently finds himself on the road.
To help Chris ease the burden of travel and give him a more accessible way to get up to the mountain, head to the beach, or travel long distances, the High Fives Foundation gifted him a converted van. In addition to having plenty of cargo space to carry his skiing, mountain biking, or surfing gear, the van is custom-outfitted to provide him comfort on the road and meet his specific needs.
“The entire van was built around the idea of giving Chris the freedom to get back to the outdoors after his life-changing injury. It features a SuperArm wheelchair lift that allows Chris to enter and exit the van independently. The step where you would normally enter the sliding door has been filled in, and a small threshold has been added so Chris can roll all the way to the edge and not roll off. The driver seat has been swapped with a Braun Mobility 6-way adjustable seat that pivots 180 degrees so Chris can transfer to and from his wheelchair. For the controls, the van utilizes SureGrip hand controls with Push/Rock style brake and gas controls and a Tri-Pin Spinner Knob for secure one-handed steering. The fridge cabinetry was designed so he could access it without leaving the driver seat.”
With the power of 2 โ 270Ah 12V GC3 Battle Born Batteries, a 3,000-watt Victron Inverter Charger, and accompanying accessories, Chris will have peace of mind knowing the essential electronics he needs in his van will stay up and running. Whether he’s powering his Dometic CRX Pro 65 Fridge/Freezer to keep food fresh on the road, recharging his Batec Mini-2 electric handbike mobility device, or utilizing his wheelchair lift, Chris has plenty of power no matter where the road takes him.
The High Fives Foundation Continues Their Legacy of Hope and Healing
Through the support of the High Fives Foundation, Chris Waker is looking forward to the unleashed possibilities available to him since receiving his new van. “In only a few months, this vehicle has made a tremendous impact on my lifeโit’s the first set of wheels I’ll be driving since becoming a quadriplegic. It’s already brought me so much freedom and independence, something that I deeply missed. Now, I can attend therapy regularly without depending on others, but more importantly, I can get back to doing what I loveโgoing to surfing events, participating in adaptive sports camps, and spending time with friends. Before this van, it was always a challenge to coordinate transportation, and I often missed out on opportunities. I feel like my world has opened up again.”
With endless horizons ahead of him, we canโt wait to see what Chris does next! Whether heโs inspiring crowds of people or adventuring on the water or in the mountains, we canโt wait to see how his epic van helps him get there. Follow along with him on Instagram and his website to keep up with his latest adventures.
We are proud to have partnered with the High Fives Foundation on this incredible project and canโt wait to continue supporting them as they make a difference in the lives of injured athletes and veterans. Stay tuned on theirย Instagram,ย Facebook,ย YouTube, andย TikTok to keep up with the various camps, events, and fundraisers they put on throughout the year to continue supporting their athletes!