What Happens When Hope And Trust Align

“If it’s not working out right now, it just means you’re not finished yet because things will always work out.”

Life can change in an instant, But don’t lose hope.

For me, it was the moment of impact. It was chaos as I tumbled downhill. I slid to a stop, face down in the snow. I couldn’t move or feel anything. My body was unresponsive, but my mind was in overdrive.

I knew I was paralyzed—a quadriplegic. I knew it was bad.

I was coaching skiing when it happened. In a routine trick demonstration, I dislocated my neck and my whole world came crashing down.

But then there was hope. 

After I woke up from surgery the following day, I could just barely open and close my elbows—an indication things might improve.

The spine specialists told me I would probably never walk again, and if I was lucky, I might get back the use of my arms—a reality I wasn’t quite prepared for. I listened, heard them out, but didn’t jump to any conclusions.

How could they know what I’m capable of?

they might be wrong. 

The only person who knows what you’re capable of is you. Chances are, you’re capable of more than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can do. Trust yourself, and trust you have what it takes to push through.

I’m glad I questioned the doctors that day. Something inside me said there would be more for me. I believed there would be more.

I hoped I would heal. 

In 6 weeks, I took my first, fragile steps. At three months, I walked with difficulty out of the hospital. At one year, I stepped back into a pair of skis and struggled to ski down Whistler Mountain. In 2015, I ran 10km in the Wings for Life World Run. Since then, I’ve been heli-skiing, run the the Red Bull 400—known as the steepest running race in the world, and started Team Coast2Coast. Team Coast2Coast’s mission is to unify Canada’s efforts in the WFL World Run to help fund a cure for spinal cord injury.

That said, I still struggle, but it doesn’t make me unique. We all struggle.

We’re all human. 

There will probably never be a day in my life I’m not reminded I have a spinal cord injury. I can’t fully feel my legs or my hands. Balancing is difficult, I fatigue quickly, and I am in pain. 

But I know I am lucky—most people don’t get better from a spinal cord injury. I try to feel grateful every day and focus on the gifts, not the gaps.

It’s helped me to keep looking ahead through a positive lens, trusting things will get better.

when Hope aligns with trust it is INCREDIBLY powerful.

If things aren’t working out right now, it just means they’re not finished yet because things will always work out. Trust the process. Sometimes you need to be patient, but trust it will all work out.

It’s not blissful optimism, it’s hopeful optimism.