Support High Fives Athletes: Empower Adaptive Adventures

For my birthday this year, I'm asking for your financial support for the High Fives Foundation.

The High Fives Foundation is An Adaptive Sports Foundation with Heart. This nonprofit organization is on a mission to provide hope and resources for athletes with diverse abilities and backgrounds. They support individuals on their journey back to the outdoor physical activities they love - from snowboarding and skiing to surfing, mountain biking, and beyond.

This past week I was so stoked to join a group of High Fives Foundation Athletes on a 4-day camping and mountain biking trip on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. I was lucky enough to be invited as a last-minute add-on thanks to my former coworker and friend Jared Potter. One thing that made this trip special was that it was a private trip led by an incredible High Fives Foundation athlete Jim Harris. Although he did a huge amount of planning and organizing, he made sure most of the decisions on the trip were made by the entire group. This made the trip low on rules and policies and high on collaborative decisions and teamwork.

The High Fives Foundation subsidized this trip for these athletes/adventurers and also has helped in the past with grants to help them defray the enormous costs associated with adaptive mountain bikes - which are awesome but not an inexpensive piece of equipment. I learned a lot from my time off the grid with these new friends on this trip, but some key takeaways:

Time off the grid sharing an outdoor adventure can be a healing if not transformative experience for all involved* (see my journal excerpt below for more on this topic)

Human connection is a key part of any experience and can be a catalyst for personal growth and happiness

People with SCI (Spinal Cord Injuries), just like the rest of us, each have amazing and unique stories (see a few profile highlights of the people I traveled with this past week). Learn their stories and don't make the easy mistake of letting their disabilities define them - because they do not.

More likely than not, people with SCI do not need or want your help. Like you and I, they are trying to live an independent life, and you jumping in to help before they ask does not help them learn what they can do in even extreme and new environments. I witnessed these humans doing more for themselves than many of the able-bodied people I have traveled with in these outdoor settings. Make sure they know you're happy to help if asked and then stand by for any requested assistance.

There are some extreme costs associated with adaptive equipment and adventures, not to mention rehab and home adaptations. So financial support of organizations like High Fives Foundation can mean the difference between an athlete returning to their outdoor adventure lifestyle or not. This is the reason I am asking for your financial support here.

How You Can Help

I would have a modest goal to raise at least $400 for this Birthday fundraiser and I will match donations up to the first $200 dollars. However, I would be happy to blow the doors off that goal with your generous support!

Ways to Donate:

In all cases, I will make sure the funds get sent directly to High Fives Foundation to use for their grants. Learn more about High Fives Foundation and what your donations will support at: https://highfivesfoundation.org/

Meet Some of the Amazing High Fives Foundation Athletes:

Jim Harris

Jim was our White Rim Trip Organizer/Leader. He is the kind of leader that leaves his ego at the door despite his ample experience and knowledge leading groups in outdoor adventures. From his High Fives Foundation Athlete Profile: Art and everything outdoors has been Jim's lifelong passions as evidenced in his work as a photographer, videographer, illustrator, writer, and adventurer. I would trust Jim to lead me on any adventure in the outdoors.

https://highfivesfoundation.org/athlete/jim-harris/

“Your disability is your opportunity”~ Kurt Hahn

Matty Tychsen

Matty is first and foremost a badass athlete with an incredible smile. He is a construction Project Manager and soon to be taking over as a construction business owner. On the trip Matty was in full send mode both on his Bowhead Reach bike, in his truck and helping out with cooking, dishes and organizing camp. He and his wife are expecting his first child this summer.

https://highfivesfoundation.org/athlete/matt-tychsen/

"Still Gonna Send It" ~Matty

Danimal Soller

Danimal is something of a Renaissance man-imal. He has mad cooking skills (his homemade jalapeno powder is pure gold), mad bike mechanic, and riding skills and charges up and down the trails like his name sake might imply but with the precision of the most experienced rider. On the trip, he led the charge up the Shafer Switchbacks climb with no interest in stopping or slowing down until he reached the top.

https://highfivesfoundation.org/athlete/daniel-soller/

"Break bikes and not yourself." ~Danimal

Erica Smith

Erica is a truly badass endurance athlete. She competed in the SBT Gravel race in Steamboat this past summer. On the White Rim she impressed the entire group with her grit and friendly attitude. Her riding skills seemed to improve by day if not hour. Don't let her quiet and unassuming first impression fool you, she is the person you want on your next adventure or race team, she is highly capable of riding her bike long distances and was a crucial member of the team helping with camp tasks.

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." ~Erica

Josh Hancock

Josh is an Environmental Engineer working on a massive environmental cleanup project in Oregon. He is a serious outdoor athlete and adventurer who loves to ride his bike and run rivers across the west. He is a highly capable adaptive rider and has a lot of experience river running and camping. I spotted Josh having quiet and supportive one on one conversations with each of the members of the team throughout the week.

https://highfivesfoundation.org/athlete/josh-hancock/

"Happy is happy" ~Josh

Jared Potter

Jared is a software engineer with a passion for conversations and connecting with people. His curiosity and ability to candidly and deeply discuss any topic are his calling card. As a life-long Utahn, Jared has always enjoyed the outdoors. In his early twenties, he began exploring activities like hiking, camping, skiing, and more.

https://highfivesfoundation.org/athlete/jared-potter/

"There's No Yardstick for Life." ~Jared

Jocelyn Judd

Jocelyn is a PA working in emergency medicine in a rural setting. She is a strong cyclist who was a critical member of the team on the trail and in camp. She was the person on the team you could count on most to make sure the luggage was carefully packed and unpacked each day in her truck. More importantly she ensured everyone had a cup of coffee as soon as they rolled out of bed on the first day in camp!

https://highfivesfoundation.org/athlete/jocelyn-judd/

"DO NOT GO WHERE THE PATH MAY LEAD, GO INSTEAD WHERE THERE IS NO PATH AND LEAVE A TRAIL." ~Jocelyn

Pierre Bergman

Pierre and his partner joined us for the first day and night. Pierre is an outdoor Adventure Athlete from Jackson WY. He loves mountain biking and sliding on snow as well as traveling in his Partner's sick Mitsubishi Delica van. He also is a Park Groomer at Jackson Hole Ski resort. We all wish Pierre a speedy recovery from his upcoming surgery to have some hardware removed from his back.

https://highfivesfoundation.org/athlete/pierre-bergman/

"Life's hard, but worth living." ~Pierre

The Crew:

Our team was complemented by an incredible group of volunteer able bodied support crew who brought so much Stoke to the week. Safe to say the crew had as much type 2 fun and transformational growth as the High Fives Foundation Athletes.

Rob Jarvis

Rob is from Santa Cruz California and is very involved in High Fives Foundation surf camps. He was rushing home to put on a surf camp in Santa Cruz on May 1. His grit in providing physical and emotional support to all of us was unmatched.

Carey Ballard

Carey lives outside of Telluride CO. She works for a San Francisco based Medical association when she is not out on a massive outdoor adventure somewhere in the world. She is a true badass on and off the bike. She was the only one who rode the entire 100 miles with an analog(non e-assist bike) She quietly did more work than the rest of the crew while taking zero credit for the efforts. She has a long history of helping with Adaptive programs and camps and was an integral part of the crew.

Johnny Lyons

Johnny lives in Truckee CA. He is an independent Sales Rep K2, Yakima and other brands. He is an avid skier with an office at the Palisades ski resort base which allows him to take laps between working. On the trip he was the Jenga truck packing master. If anyone needed to know where something was in the trucks they asked Johnny. No Wheelchairs or gear suffered any harm in the course of this adventure thanks to his mad skills with the hundreds of feet of NRS straps. He also is no stranger to High Fives Foundation camps. His humility and humor were an essential ingredient to the trip.

Me (Seth)

I live in Salt Lake City Utah. I was beyond thrilled to receive a last minute invite to join this trip from my friend Jared who knew how much I love biking. I tried to be helpful around the kitchen and dish washing station. I split my time between driving and pedaling making sure to find a better driver to handle the spicy/scary technical driving sections. I can't think of a better group of humans or places I would rather have been for my birthday week.

I think we all took away our own learnings from the week. Here is a journal excerpt I penned at sunrise on day 4 the day after my birthday with some of my trip induced thoughts:

"3/24/2025 - This week on the White Rim has been AMAZING with an incredible group of humans (aka "Dirt Bag" Athletes/Adventurers :)) We often expend an incredible amount of energy worrying about things that in the grand scheme of things Don't fucking matter. When we do this we miss focusing on things that truly do matter. We miss out on LIVING. We miss out on the amazing sunsets and sunrises the world has on offer. We miss CONNECTIONS with amazing humans. What I learned this week most of all is that Connections are everything!"

Thank you for helping these amazing athletes continue their outdoor adventures!

For more extensive photos, stories, and a slideshow narrative from our incredible White Rim journey, please visit my blog at: https://iterativelivings.com/2025/04/26/high-fives-foundation-birthday-fundraiser-the-white-rim-2025/

There you'll find additional images and detailed accounts of our adventures that couldn't fit in this fundraiser story.