A big thanks to Paul Gamache for putting on the 2009 Cali Burn Fest at the infamous Burnt Ranch Gorge. It sounds like it was a great time!
Here's a link to a video covering the event.
http://vimeo.com/7099987
And here's a link to the results.
http://dagger.ning.com/profiles/blogs/cali-burn-fest-race-results
Another thanks to Marissa Gillingham and the SOU women's soccer team. It was a fun event and I enjoyed watching the game. Thanks!
In therapy I've been pushing myself around in a manual chair. I do laps around the rehab center. It's kinda fun and a great work out. My arms are getting stronger, which has been very encouraging. I started the process for purchasing an FES Bike and hope to have one in my posession within a couple months.
This week was pretty tough emotionally and mentally. The weight of my cuurent predicament was getting to me. I woke up early on Saturday morning thinking about the many things I've lost and all the things I can't do anymore. I just laid there and cried for about a couple of hours just wishing I could go back to that fateful day and go around that jump. Then I forced myself to think about all the things that I'm thankful for. And it's amazing what a shift in attitude can do for ones perspective. There's many things that I miss, but I also have so many things to be thankful for.
So here's a funny story after all that seriousness. My Mom was dropping me off in Ashland to meet up with some friends. The van was parked on a steep side slope making the ramp steeper than normal. So when I exited I ended up falling forward doubling over at the waist due to the lack of ab muscles. I ended up laying on my arm that was on the controls for my wheel chair. I couldn't push myself up and was headed out of control towards the car parked next to us. Luckily I was able to shift my weight enough to turn the chair. I missed the car, but ended up going around in circles bumping into the curb on each revolution. I made three revolutions before my mom was able to get to me and sit me back up stopping the out of control mayhem that was about to get worse. Afterward we both laughed...it was either that or cry. I'm sure it was quite a sight.
I can't thank all of you enough for all the support, positive thoughts, and prayers.
A positive and inspiring story of Matt Thomas recovering from a Spinal Cord Injury following a tragic mountain biking accident.
Hey Matt, I'm a T6 paraplegic from a freeride mountain biking crash 6 years ago. I actually got into whitewater kayaking after i became disabled. Adjusting to, and accepting your disability will be very difficult, but the sooner you can maximize your abilities and figure out what you CAN do isntead of focusing on what you've lost, the better off you will be. For me, adaptive sports (handcycling, xc skiing, downhill skiing, whitewater kayaking, etc.) are what keep me sane and help me get through the dark days. I'm at strugar1@gmail.com if you want to get in touch with me.
ReplyDeleteMatt Strugar-Fritsch