Living Life Focused on Helping Others
When 27-year-old Noah Blue Elk Hotchkiss learned that he had been awarded an Adaptive Recreational Equipment Scholarship from the Craig Hospital Foundation and the Kelly Brush Foundation, he was elated.
“I am so excited to get a new Dynaccess Hydra mono ski chair,” he explains. “But more than that, I’m thrilled to have a new mono ski so I can mentor and coach other athletes living with paralysis and working toward independence. It’s just a way for me to live the Tribal Adaptive mission.”
Spreading the Love of Sport
Noah, a member of the Southern Ute and Caddo tribes, was born and raised on Colorado’s Southern Ute reservation. In 2009, at the age of 11, he was critically injured in a car accident in which he sustained a spinal cord injury. Noah’s stepmother, Cassandra Yazzie, died in the accident, and his younger brother and sister were seriously injured.
Shortly after completing inpatient rehabilitation at a children’s hospital in Denver, Noah was introduced to adaptive sports. He went on to win many accolades, including a national title in downhill skiing and playing Division 1 wheelchair basketball at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Additionally, he was chosen as Disabled Sports USA’s first Paralympic ambassador to Native America. “As one of the only Native American adaptive athletes, mono skiing held deep personal significance for me,” he says. “So at 15, with a $10,000 grant from the Running Strong Dreamstarter program, I founded Tribal Adaptive to help other Native Americans experience the same sense of empowerment and connection that skiing gave me. Since then, the organization has grown tremendously and helped countless Native Americans connect with sports and outdoor recreation.”
He adds, “Tribal Adaptive’s mission is to use sport as a tool to improve the health, wellness and independence of Native Americans with disabilities. And this vision has become the central focus of my life as I work to expand opportunities and break down barriers.”
One of the organization’s most impactful initiatives is their ski program, known as the “Return to the Shining Mountains Project,” which Tribal Adaptive runs in partnership with the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program. This collaboration enables Tribal Adaptive to offer high-quality adaptive skiing experiences that would otherwise be financially inaccessible to many participants.
“And with assistance from the Adaptive Recreational Equipment Scholarship, I can continue this important work, grow our programs, and reach even more members of the community,” he explains.
Support and Camaraderie
When Noah looks back on his life since his injury, he feels grateful to Craig. While he was too young to attend Craig as an inpatient, he began outpatient therapy at Craig in 2017.
“Together with my dad, I attend Craig’s annual Interdisciplinary Outpatient Evaluations, which include physical therapy, occupational therapy, wheelchair clinics, and adaptive gaming clinics,” Noah explains. “I also attend peer support groups where I get to meet other wheelchair users and learn from them.”
He adds, “I look forward to the support and camaraderie that I receive at Craig, and I also look forward to raising awareness and improving access to adaptive sports for disabled Native Americans.”
To learn more or donate to help Craig patients like Noah, please visit us.