TRUCKEE — The High Fives Foundation Empowerment program service disburses board-approved grants to mountain action sports athletes who are recovering from a life-altering injury. In March, the Foundation’s Board of Directors Grant Selection Committee approved a grant for local Tahoe High Fives Athlete Jeff Andrews of $21,000, providing Jeff 9-months of specialized personal training at the CR Johnson Healing Center in Truckee, Calif.
About Jeff Andrews
On March 15, 2014 Jeff experienced a snowboarding accident at Sugar Bowl Resort resulting in a C6 burst fracture with associated spinal cord injury and transverse process fractures at L1, L2, and L3. Jeff suffers quadriplegia at the C5-C7 level. His goal is to become as independent as his condition will permit and return to the most active lifestyle possible.
A previous Empowerment grant allowed Jeff to spend two months at Body Wellness Hawaii training in the Neurokinetic Pilates (NKP) method with Alejandra Monsalve. Throughout his Hawaii trip, Jeff’s friend (and personal trainer) Jack Powell attended every session with Alejandra and has incorporated the NKP method into his training philosophy.
Jeff’s March grant will allow for nine months of training with Jack using the NKP method. Currently, Jeff and Jack are in the CR Johnson Healing Center every single day for roughly 4 hours. This level of dedication to recovery is how Jeff and his trainer Jack are leading by example for other athletes training in the CR Johnson Healing Center.
Since the organization’s January 2009 inception, the Empowerment program service has assisted 72 athletes from 19 states in nine respective funding categories which include: living expenses, insurance, travel, health, healing network, adaptive equipment, winter equipment, programs and “stoke” (positive energy, outlook and attitude). In 2015, the High Fives Foundation set a budget of disbursing $266,000 via board-approved grants through the Empowerment Fund. Since January 2015, 11 High Fives Athletes and two organizations have been awarded 13 board-approved grants totaling $88,432.
In the month of March the High Fives Foundation disbursed funds to Five Empowerment Athletes: Bond Camp of Breckenridge, Colo., Matt Leonard of San Francisco, Calif., Jim Harris of Salt Lake City, Utah, Jeff Andrews of Truckee, Calif. and Danielle Shannon of North Conway, N.H. totaling $28,981 in board-approved Empowerment Grants.
SOURCE: High Fives Foundation.
