HOW I BEGAN MY ATHLETIC CAREER AND THE TURN IT WOULD TAKE
I was your typical high school athlete, with lots of friends and the good fortune to have great coaches who helped develop me into a collegiate baseball player. At the University of Nebraska/Omaha I earned academic honors while serving as captain of the Mavericks baseball team. We worked hard, had fun and life was great. My senior year, I even made the NCC All-Conference team, which led to a free agency with the Omaha Royals. I was at the top of my game and on top of the world!
Then came a snowy night in February 2002. I was driving between Omaha and Lincoln and noticed a car that had slid off the road. I pulled over and got out to help the driver get her car back on the pavement when I was struck by another vehicle. As a result, I lost my left foot, my right ankle was shattered, and I ended up with a 16” rod in my right leg.
Learning that my dreams of being a professional baseball player were over could have devastated my life, and I admit it wasn’t an easy adjustment. But again, I was blessed to have a great support system, and I worked hard to reclaim my physical independence and to chart a new path.
HOW ATHLETICS WERE REDEFINED IN MY LIFE AND WHERE THAT HAS TAKEN ME
Fitness, activity, competition, being part of a team, these were all part of who I was -who I am. No longer having those things in my life wasn’t an option, so I had to redefine what athletics meant for me and my new life.
Not long after my accident, I discovered several wonderful sports programs for those physically disabled. I was named MVP in the first wheelchair softball tournament I ever played, and started enjoying playing sitting volleyball so much that I wound up as Captain of the U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team. I am also now involved in several charitable organizations that work to improve the lives and opportunities for the disabled. I dove right back into sports and this change in my life that once felt so devastating and impossible, has taken my athleticism to new heights, taken me around the globe, allowed me to meet some of the most inspiring people in the world, and most importantly, it has helped me inspire others.
I would love to hear your story, and explore ways I could guide and support you when you’re ready to refinance, or apply for a new mortgage. The waters can be a little murky, but I know together we can find the way to the right solution for you
LEVELS OF ATHLETICS
↓Competed at Every Level of Athletics including Amateur, Collegiate, Professional, & International Vocal, emotional and athletic leader on every team I have played for.
ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE
↓US National Sitting Volleyball Player
August 2003 – April 2012
Captain of the USA Sitting Volleyball Team since 2004
2004 US Paralympian
2003 Para Pan American Game Gold Medalist
2007 Para Pan American Games Silver Medalist
World Organization of Volleyball for the Disabled Athlete/Player Representative
US Sitting Volleyball Club Founder
Jan 2005 – Present
Captain, Coach and Player of the Nebraska High Rollers
National League Organizer & Founder
Organized and directed the Largest Sitting Volleyball Tournament in the US every year since inception
Nebraska Baron Wheelchair Softball Player
April 2003 - Present
Captain of the Nebraska Barons since 2003
6 Time Division I National Player of the Year/MVP (’03, ’04, ’07, ’08, ’11, ’12, ’17)
11 Time National Champion
9 Time National All Left Fielder
Sportsman of the Year in 2003
Best Hitter for the National Wheelchair Softball Tournament in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015
Madonna Magic Wheelchair Basketball
Midwest Conference 2nd Team 2008-2009
↓Kansas City Royals (Gulf Coast Royals A)
July 1999 – October 1999
Professional pitcher
Best ERA on team in 1999 for setup relievers
University of Nebraska at Omaha Baseball
August 1995 – May 1999
University of Nebraska at Omaha Baseball Team Captain 1997-1999
North Central Conference All Conference Player 1998-1999
University of Nebraska at Omaha Best Batting Average in 1997-1998
Four Year Letter Recipient and Four Year Starter
University of Nebraska at Omaha Student Athlete Academic Board Member 1996-1999 Vice President 1998-1999
University of Nebraska at Omaha Athletic Committee Board Member 1997 –1999
Ralston High School
August 1991 – May 1995
Nebraska Baseball All State 1995
Νebraska State Baseball Champion 1995
Championship and Semi Championship Winning Pitcher of the Nebraska State Tournament 1995
Ralston Post Legion 373 Summer Team Most Valuable Player 1995
