History of the Standing Spirit Project
Twelve years ago, Brad Jacobsen broke his neck when he slipped chasing an errant frisbee into a river. The resulting injury meant Brad would live the rest of his life as a quadriplegic. Having hiked Vancouver Island's famous West Coast Trail as an able bodied man and knowing how tough the trail is, the idea that he could get back there as a quadriplegic seemed like a pipe dream; however, it was a dream that was too tempting to ignore. The Standing Spirit Project was born in 2003 when we stopped dreaming and started planning. August 2005 will go down in history as the first time that anyone with a significant physical disability has hiked the West Coast Trail. Brad, accompanied by a crew of nine, almost all strangers to one another at the outset, came together to make history, and a new set of friends in the process ... but this was just the beginning.
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The Standing Spirit Project will conclude with a 40 km kayak expedition in 2007 along the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail coastline. The second expedition, although not as ground breaking as the first is an important component of the Standing Spirit Project. Brad will regain a little more of the identity that he lost when he sustained his spinal cord injury, as he will have the chance to propel himself. With an adapted kayak, Brad will feel much like a contributor in 2007 as he felt like cargo, using the TrailRider in 2005. |
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Like every dream, the time passed so fast that when the first expedition was over we were left in a blur, struggling to get our heads around the experience. Undoubtedly, its the highlights that come most readily to mind. |
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There are experiences waiting for every hiker on that trail; your overall experience is that which you make it. Experiences like looking up from your campfire to look straight out at the horizon, encounters with magnificent terrestrial and marine wildlife, and learning about how people have lived there for over 5000 years are truly unforgettable.
Even though his feet never touched the ground, Brad had the same experiences that every good hiker does, and that was the point. However, Brad had his own unique experience too. He proved wrong everyone who told him that the West Coast Trail could not be done by a man in a wheelchair. |
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