Fly-fishing, paragliding and high-octane off-road driving brought a small group of adaptive athletes together in the Roaring Fork Valley last week for a program called 鈥淩eturn to Dirt.鈥�
It was founded in 2018 by a Glenwood Springs local, Tim Burr, and is now affiliated with the High Fives Foundation 鈥� a national nonprofit focused on reconnecting athletes with the sports they love after life-altering injuries.
You can tell, just by looking around the fishing pond, that this is an outdoorsy crowd, decked out in five-panel hats and high-tech sunglasses. Many of the participants at this camp identify as thrill-seekers 鈥� Derrick Duncan included.
鈥淚'm an adrenaline junkie, so I got hurt downhill skateboarding, and it's just in my blood to keep going for it,鈥� Duncan said while fishing at Spring Creeks Ranch in Carbondale on Thursday.
Duncan was paralyzed from the chest down about a decade ago, when he was 21 years old. He says 鈥淩eturn to Dirt鈥� has become one of his favorite summer trips, because there鈥檚 nothing quite like it where he lives in Springfield, Missouri.
Back home, he said, it鈥檚 mostly team sports and bowling nights.
鈥淏ut this is unique and different and gets you out and gets you an experience that you didn't think you'd ever get to have,鈥� Duncan said.
Duncan is a pretty adventurous person, and he appreciates that he gets to meet other like-minded people at this program.
There鈥檚 about 10 athletes here for 鈥淩eturn to Dirt,鈥� and they all want to get back out there, because community and outdoor adventure can make a big difference for mental wellbeing.
鈥淚t means everything, you know?鈥� Duncan said. 鈥淒octors told me that that wasn't going to be a possibility, and they paint this awful picture all the time. And so for me, it鈥檚 鈥� what makes me happy and it's what keeps me going, and I just want to spread that to other people, as well.鈥�
Burr, the founder and program manager for 鈥淩eturn to Dirt,鈥� says a feeling of camaraderie is a key component of this camp.
鈥淎 day like today and this weekend are really special, because you do it as a family, as an 鈥榦hana,鈥� and everybody shares it together,鈥� Burr said. 鈥淎nd we get together as new acquaintances and become best friends.鈥�
That idea of 鈥渙hana鈥� comes from the High Fives Foundation, which has a home base in Truckee, California. It offers all kinds of sports, from skiing to surfing, and a couple years ago, this off-roading program joined the lineup, too.
Burr was already familiar with High Fives when he launched 鈥淩eturn to Dirt鈥� with some friends and family several years earlier, in 2018. He鈥檚 a quadriplegic himself, paralyzed from the chest down in a ski accident in 2014. And while he considers other adaptive sports to be a blessing, he recognized an unfilled niche in the market.
鈥淢y strength is limited, so I can only get so good at sit skiing or surfing,鈥� Burr said.
But with off-road vehicles, the gear has so many adaptations that it levels the playing field 鈥� and gives everyone the freedom to get some 鈥渢hrottle therapy鈥� in the mountains, Burr said.
鈥淥nce you're in the car and you have your equipment set up, you are the same as anybody else that's in one of the cars,鈥� Burr said. 鈥淎nd also, they鈥檙e very capable, so you can go a lot of places that would otherwise be inaccessible to you.鈥�
鈥淩eturn to Dirt鈥� now supports about 60 athletes a year, mostly in custom experiences catered to individual participants. The program itself is free; athletes just have to cover travel, but Burr wants to help with those costs in the future, too.
He gives a lot of credit to the folks here in this community, who have helped him grow his organization from the get-go.
鈥淚 have to just be so thankful to have grown up here and then received all the support, 鈥� so if you're listening to this, thank you,鈥� he said.
Last week鈥檚 鈥淩eturn to Dirt鈥� camp wrapped up on Sunday.
They offer other programs throughout the year 鈥� including a snow-karting experience in the winter. More information is available at highfivesfoundation.org.
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