Adventure Scholarship Report: Hans

May 2016

The first OM Adventure Scholarship of 2016 was a huge success! Several of OM's staff and board members were able to participate with the scholarship winner during the adventure. It was a day full of laughter and discovery.  About the winner:        Just over a year ago, Hans Updegraff was an avid outdoor enthusiast, always staying active and getting outside. Then, in December of 2014, he was involved in an accident and experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI).  "My TBI affected my life initially by requiring me to relearn how to walk, swallow when eating, run, and many other activities. My TBI also erased my ability do simple activities that require higher brain functions and processing information - these directly effect my readiness to drive a car which hasn’t happened yet." - Hans      The road to recovery has not been an easy one, but he says that he is constantly inspired to keep progressing because of the support of his mother, brother, girlfriend, and the therapists at Craig Hospital.  Hans' favorite quote:

Hans' thoughts on the event:        "Having the opportunity to meet others who had experiences similar to mine helped me not to feel so alone. I had a hard time explaining my experiences and emotions and eventually began to feel very alone. This activity allowed me to meet Outdoor Mindset staff and participants who who were all very encouraging; which in turn made my life perspective more positive."

"I was very satisfied because the staff worked so well with me and other participants. They made me even more excited about the activity. It was a chance for me to nordic ski and be in such a positive environment. The arrangement of the adventure was relaxed, exciting, and very friendly. It also put me closer to being approved from my therapists to downhill ski again."

"I do feel like [OM] is a good fit for me because I really liked the arrangement of the adventure with OM. OM creates a positive time to give participants a chance to step back into a life that they value. It’s a good fit because for me encouragement is so important. I tend to be hard on myself when I don’t do well. OM was a good fit because I could tell the staff and participants were all there to just have fun and learn. It helped me relax and enjoy learning with everyone."

Does it seem like Outdoor Mindset would be a good fit for you, too? Do you have an adventure in mind? Sign up for our Adventure Scholarship, then get out there and chase your dreams like Hans! Sign up for the OM Adventure Scholarship!