In a few shorts weeks, I am taking on a great challenge by joining my dear friend ,Janne Kouri, and others on a 200 mile charity bike ride through the wine country.   We are raising money for NextStep Fitness, which Janne and his wife Susan founded following his devastating spinal cord injury.  NextStep Fitness is an internationally recognized non-profit that makes life-changing rehab and fitness accessible and affordable to individuals living with paralysis.   

Most of you have heard me talk about Janne who I met at Georgetown and lived with in Jackson Hole after college. He is one of the most incredible, inspiring humans and has accomplished so much for himself and the entire spinal cord injury community following his accident.  **Please watch the GMA clip below to get a sense of Janne and NextStep Fitness**

In August 2006, Janne was participating in a beach volleyball tournament when he decided to take a dip in the ocean between matches.  He ran into the water and he when he went to dive under a wave, he hit a sandbar with his head and fractured C5 & C6.  He was instantly paralyzed from the neck down. He was told by his doctors that he will never walk again.  He also learned that there was not a single progressive rehab center in the state of California.  After two months in ICU, in order to get the rehab services, he so desperately needed for survival, he had to move 2000 miles away to Louisville, KY.

Janne, and his girlfriend (now wife) Susan (who promised to stick with me on this ride!), traveled to Frazier Rehab in Louisville to participate in a cutting edge rehabilitation therapy for individuals with Spinal Cord Injury called "Locomotor Training." For twelve months Janne and Susan lived in Louisville, and under the watchful eye of his therapy team, saw great improvements in his muscle strength, movement, and general health. 

Unfortunately, his insurance coverage came to an end and it was time to move back home to California. Janne quickly discovered there was not a single community facility in California or in the US that offered locomotor training. He realized that there is a complete lack of community fitness, health, and wellness resources available to the six million people with paralysis-related disabilities in America. Six million people, that is the combined populations of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. He wondered what everyone else like him was doing.  So, with the help of his family, friends, and the guiding influence of Dr. Susie Harkema - one of the neuroscientists who created Locomotor Training & enhanced Activity Based Therapy techniques, Janne and Susan decided to start NextStep.  Dr. Harkema is also going to be on this ride so we are going to celebrate her and her 60th birthday as well! 

It is difficult for us to ask for donations during these uncertain times, but NextStep needs our help more now than ever.  It is in times like these that we truly realize how vital NextStep's services are for the health and wellness of their clients. Please join me in helping to provide HOPE AFTER PARALYSIS to the 6 Million Americans that need our support.

No donation is too small and thank you in advance!

All the best and wish me luck!

In 2019 Janne and friends rode across the United States, check out their story on Good Morning America!