Cause for Inspiration: Mark Matheson

A paraplegic … Fifteen years ago, Mark Matheson's life was changed forever. As he notes on the Easter Seals Hawaii website, "I remember laying flat on my back, in excruciating pain, unable to move and from the look on the faces of my friends and the firemen who came to my aid, I knew I was in big trouble." He had fallen four stories, from the balcony of a hotel in Kauai. The fall crushed his back and left him paralyzed from the chest down.

… who didn't let that stop him from the activities he loved … In that condition, it would've been easy for Matheson to play it safe and limit his activities. But for a person who "had always been active and athletic," that wasn't an option. Along with finding a way to ski again, he also came across the group Access Surf Hawaii, which, five years ago, helped him to surf for the first time in 10 years. The organization is a nonprofit that provides "adaptive surfing instruction and therapeutic educational programs on water recreation" for people with disabilities. Matheson has since become a board member of the group, something he's also done with Easter Seals Hawaii.

… and just became the first paraplegic to take on the Molokai Channel crossing. The Molokai 2 Oahu: Paddleboard World Championship is a 32-mile race across one of the toughest channels in the world. This past weekend, Matheson become the first paraplegic to compete in it. And while he didn't finish the race, it was through no fault of his own, as, according to Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine, he "lost his mandatory escort boat to engine failure with 10 miles remaining and was forced to call it a day." Paraplegic or not, just taking part in the race is an impressive accomplishment. To add to that, Matheson also raised money for two causes — Access Surf Hawaii and Easter Seals Hawaii. His goal was to raise $25,000 for each, and he's still trying to reach that goal, so if you want to help, go here and here.

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Photo courtesy of Easter Seals Hawaii.