Client Bios

Matt is different than most people, he loves creamed spinach and the instrument he plays best is the didgeridoo (of Australian origin). Before his injury he was surfing everyday, replenishing beaches and living at Stockton University, where he was majoring in Environmental Science.

His T4/5 injury was sustained by diving into the bay in September of 2008, and since then he’s had many frustrations. Most people might discuss their feelings about life after spinal cord injury, but Matt’s play out in his dreams. One of his most recent dreams included a walrus who had trouble getting into a house, so Matt kindly invited him over to his house where he could use a ramp. Matt thinks that maybe the deeper meaning behind the dream is his own accessibility issues.

Although Matt does not accept his injury, he works hard towards overcoming these frustrations and accessibility issues by coming to Push to Walk. Matt works out at Push to Walk once a week, in addition to working with a trainer on his own time. During his workout Matt has the opportunity to stretch & work on reactivating his central nervous system, and perform active weight bearing exercises on the Total Gym, standing bar and Power Plate. He also works out on the mats for his core, balance and trunk strength. Since coming here his posture has improved, and he hopes to see even more results in the coming months.

Recently, Matt had the chance to get back to surfing a little with They Will Surf Again: Life Rolls On. Despite it being a difficult day emotionally for him, he eventually got in the water and surfed for the first time since September 2008.