This month’s spotlight is Sam from Minnesota. Sam received an Active Fund grant for a Lasher off-road handcycle. After many years of handcycling, he needed to upgrade to a bike with e-assist to help him keep up with his kids!

Sam and his wife both have spinal cord injuries and met while mono skiing in Duluth, Minnesota. They work together at the Three Rivers Park District in Minnesota. There, Sam leads several programs for people with disabilities, such as off-road handcycling, kayak/canoeing, archery, geocaching, fishing, and Nordic skiing. “We also have many large school groups that come to our parks for activities, and I help with any accessibility needs for those programs,” he explains.

Sam has personally spent time with a whole variety of adaptive sports, including Nordic and alpine skiing, kayaking, basketball, tennis, and triathlon. He has competed in three Ironman events and a few marathons, he says. Most of Sam’s time, though, is spent going to all of the sports and activities that his two very active kids do.

One of Sam’s favorite activities is traveling to national parks with his family. “Our two favorite parks are Yellowstone and Acadia,” he says. “Both have amazing scenery and have good wheelchair accessibility.”

Sam’s friend and KBF grantee Scott describes Sam as “the poster child of someone with a disability who is doing good things in the community.” Sam has built a reputation for himself as someone who dedicates himself to helping people with disabilities out and active outside, both in his job and in his personal life. “He can’t turn it off, it is just who he is as a person,” Scott explains.