Brian's Para-Athlete Fund
Donation protected
Our good friend Brian Hnatiw was struck by a careless driver on September 26, 2015 (one year exactly before this post) while on his motorcycle. The crash left brian paralyzed from the upper abdomen down and took nearly half a year of intensive recovery in the hospital. The driver had no licence, registration or insurance and has disappeared from the trial for retribution. With the support of his friends, his family, and his community Brian has had the unbelievable strength, determination and patience to slowly piece his life back together over the last year following the accident. Prior to the accident that left him in a wheelchair Brian led an amazingly physical lifestyle as a fitness professional and sports enthusiast and was in peak physical shape playing handball semi-professionally, basketball, volleyball, volunteer firefighting, bodybuilding, the list goes on and on. In fact nobody we knew was more into fitness than Brian.
Now, after many months of being involved in paralysis rehabilitation training Brian has started to regain his physical strength and is determined to get active again and wants to take his training to the next level by becoming a full-time para-athlete and getting more involved in the paraplegic physical rehabilitation community. However, in order to do this Brian needs a specialized wheelchair designed for sports and physical activity. We are hoping to raise funds to help Brian buy such a chair which costs at least $8000, but would then allow him to access the lifestyle he needs in order to become a professional level para-athlete, and hopefully launch him into a long-term career training and competing to push the envelope of what is possible in para-athletics and to mentor other athletes in his community who have themselves lost their livelihoods due to paralysis.
Always time for a few more pull-ups!
Brian has been an inspiration to all of us who have seen him through this last year of recovery. Recently paralyzed individuals cannot easily rejoin the workforce, they need time and resources to recover from their taumatic and life threatening injuries. It has taken so much dedication and perserverence to get Brian back to where he is today physically, and the progress he has made since he left the hospital in the early weeks of 2016 is astounding by any measure of success. Now lets help him keep his momentum and launch him into a new era of recovery and inspiration for years to come.
One love <3
Click here to watch a video of Brian training like a boss in the gym with his buddy Troy for September's Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
You can also follow Brain on snapchat (@bhnatiw) and get updates on his training and progress through his 'My Wheel Life' story.
Brian with Justine getting back to the gym!
Now, after many months of being involved in paralysis rehabilitation training Brian has started to regain his physical strength and is determined to get active again and wants to take his training to the next level by becoming a full-time para-athlete and getting more involved in the paraplegic physical rehabilitation community. However, in order to do this Brian needs a specialized wheelchair designed for sports and physical activity. We are hoping to raise funds to help Brian buy such a chair which costs at least $8000, but would then allow him to access the lifestyle he needs in order to become a professional level para-athlete, and hopefully launch him into a long-term career training and competing to push the envelope of what is possible in para-athletics and to mentor other athletes in his community who have themselves lost their livelihoods due to paralysis.
Always time for a few more pull-ups!
Brian has been an inspiration to all of us who have seen him through this last year of recovery. Recently paralyzed individuals cannot easily rejoin the workforce, they need time and resources to recover from their taumatic and life threatening injuries. It has taken so much dedication and perserverence to get Brian back to where he is today physically, and the progress he has made since he left the hospital in the early weeks of 2016 is astounding by any measure of success. Now lets help him keep his momentum and launch him into a new era of recovery and inspiration for years to come.
One love <3
Click here to watch a video of Brian training like a boss in the gym with his buddy Troy for September's Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
You can also follow Brain on snapchat (@bhnatiw) and get updates on his training and progress through his 'My Wheel Life' story.
Brian with Justine getting back to the gym!
Organizer
Cassidy Rankine
Organizer
Sherwood Park, AB