On October 18, 2006, my whole life changed. I remember feeling a sharp pain in my head, followed by a sudden loss of consciousness which lasted a month. When I woke up, I found myself at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, where I spent the next five months recovering from a severe brain hemorrhage. Afterwards, I faced a year at an intensive rehabilitation facility in a central Alberta town called Ponoka. It was a tough time, as I had to relearn basic skills such as walking and talking. But I was determined to get better and regain my independence. During my time at the rehab facility, I was surprised to learn that the cause of my brain hemorrhage was an arteriovenous malformation, which was congenital in nature.

Before the accident, I was an avid skier and outdoor enthusiast. I loved everything from back-country skiing to cross-country skiing, ice and rock climbing, canyoning, mountain biking, and much more. I spent most of my free time exploring the great outdoors and pushing myself to new limits. However, after my brain hemorrhage, I had to adjust how I participated in these activities. I had to learn new techniques and adapt to my physical limitations. I still enjoy things like adaptive climbing, skiing, sailing, hiking and power wheelchair hockey. I'm a new "adrenaline junkie," I find myself in extreme sports like skydiving, rappelling high-rise buildings, rafting and whitewater kayaking...