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Super Woman Sally
Sally is an old friend and colleague of many of us at Outdoor Mindset. A few years ago, she scared us all senseless when she was in a serious backcountry skiing accident in Jackson, WY. We, along with her 8 billion other friends and admirers, have had the pleasure of rallying around her and watching her come-back from this accident.
Sally is an old friend and colleague of many of us at Outdoor Mindset. A few years ago, she scared us all senseless when she was in a serious backcountry skiing accident in Jackson, WY. We, along with her 8 billion other friends and admirers, have had the pleasure of rallying around her and watching her come-back from this accident.
She is a true inspiration and rock star, and it's an honor to have her be a part of the Outdoor Mindset family.
Raised in Colorado, I started skiing at age three. (But I went in my dad’s backpack in the backcountry at six months old!) My family has a cabin in Leadville, so when I was young, I skied at Ski Cooper. Once my brother and I “graduated” from Ski Cooper, at about age 12, I went over to Copper Mountain. I skied there for most of my younger years, and at age 15, I started the Junior Ski Patrol program. While I was in college, and for a few years after, I was a volunteer patroller, with skills as an EMT.
After college, I worked many ski-related jobs in Boulder, including being the online editor for SKI Magazine. I worked there for a couple years, considering it my “dream job.” I skied in places like Canada, New Zealand and Chile, and trips like these were fully paid for- but I was laid off from that job. That was a Wednesday, and by Friday, I had another offer on the table.
I accepted that job, and within two week, I packed everything I needed in my car, and headed to Jackson, Wyoming. I absolutely loved it there: the PR company I got a job with,
, had major ski industry clients like Arc’teryx, Dynafit and Nordica, so I went skiing for part of the day and it was considered “work.”
Skiing with three of my Jackson friends one Saturday, we rode the tram up at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and hiked to where we wanted to ski. We were going to ski “Once is Enough,” but we had to ski another, narrower run to get there. When we got to the top of our run, we clicked in, and my friend went first. He gave me two thumbs up, telling me it was safe to go. I started downhill, took a few turns, and then my ski fell off. I crashed, and slid downhill for 550 feet. I came to a stop by bashing my head on a rock. I was unconscious, but everything else was fine. My one friend who went first hiked up to me, and my other two friends skied down.
Once I got off the slope (which took a really long time), I was airlifted to a hospital in Idaho Falls, where I was placed in an induced coma. Even though I was only in Jackson for a short time, a lot of friends I had came to visit me. I stayed there for three weeks, and then was okay to fly back home, to Colorado.
I had multiple injuries—a broken back, neck, and ankle, and I had to have back surgery to fix that break. I wore a neck collar for a long time in the hospital so that my neck would heal. And I still have foot problems from the break. I wasn’t eating at that time, so I have a belly scar from where they put in the feeding tube. I lost a ton of weight- 30 pounds- so they gave me a smoothie with stuff that made me gain weight. I remember when I first got to eat by myself, and I forgot how great that was.
A few months after I lived at home, I got to go back to Jackson and thank all the people I knew there. Since the PR company I worked for had some clients in the ski industry, a lot of ski stuff was donated, which gave people another reason to come.
There were a lot of things I had to go through to recover- physical, occupational, and speech therapy. And even though I was 25 (and I turned 26), I lived at home. Living in Colorado Springs wasn’t great, because most of my friends were in Denver or Boulder. But I needed that time to still recover- I wasn’t able to live on my own.
Now that I live in Boulder in a condo that my parents helped me buy, I’m in a much better spot- I can see friends more often, and since I don’t drive, I can take the bus everywhere. Getting back to the life I used to have will never happen, so I struggle with loneliness. My friends from before my accident are finding new jobs, getting promoted, and/or having kids, but I feel like I’m stuck in the same place. I used to have a great job, and was doing really well at it, so this injury has stopped that. I just have to find a new way to gain happiness, beyond my job. I haven’t gotten there yet, but I’m still working on it.
I am so glad that I have come this far, when I was so very close to death during my accident. But the way my friends acted during my accident saved my life, and luckily, worse things didn’t happen with the bones I broke. My life will never be the same as it used to be, but I’m lucky to be alive so I can adapt to the changes.
Post accident, there are a lot of things that are important to me now, that I never used to consider important. Balance is one of them- I still have trouble walking. I don’t ski like I used to, and that was so important to me that even my job revolved around that. Riding bikes is a problem- I never realized how balance plays into that. My parents have kept their tandem, though, so I can still get my biking “fix.”
Yes, things aren’t how they used to be, but I’m learning new ways to do them and find other things that make me happy. I’ve now realized that the sports I used to do were the main source of my happiness. Now that I can’t do them the same way, I’m trying to learn other things that make me happy.
has really shown me that there are more people who struggle with the same things I do, so it’s good to know that I’m not alone. It’s the simple things like having coffee with another
member that matter the most. I find pleasure in the simple things now, because I’ve realized how important they are. Before my accident, I thought bigger things were more important—like traveling, being a bridesmaid in someone’s wedding, or having success at work. Now, it’s the little things that matter the most to me, and Outdoor Mindset helps with that.
Starting the Year Off Right
Happy 2013 OM'ers!
Well, in keeping with the spirit of the New Year, I must start things off on the right foot by being truthful in admitting defeat in the 2012
Chili Cook-off that was at the end of October 2012. Yes... it's true... Kyle's Two-Step Texas Chili took first place this year, bringing in lots of votes (aka Texas money brought up to CO by the Martins!) As promised, here is the winning chili recipe. I could've re-typed it, but I thought the pictures and comments in the original recipe print-out were too good not to share! (Don't forget to add more beef!!!)
The 3rd Annual Chili Cook-off was a great success, raising over $8,000 for our programs and members. I huge thank you goes out to everyone who attended, donated, or participated in our silent auction which had some amazing items this year. The chili was good, the beer was good, and the auction was great, but the people who come are always the best part!
That same weekend, amidst the chili cooking and preparations, we even held a mini Board Retreat, where the OM Board of Directors did some planning for 2013. To say the least, we are extremely excited for the upcoming year and the future of Outdoor Mindset. We have some great ideas for enhancements to our programs to further serve our Members and get everyone outdoors. So stay tuned!
2012 was a great year for Outdoor Mindset, as well, with just under 200 Members who are affected by a neurological challenge and have a passion for the outdoors. Our
Meet-Up Groups
launched this year, with great momentum in both
Boulder, CO
and
Hanover, NH
. We've also made some amazing 1:1 connections through our
Guide Program
, where Members provide great support and inspiration through their relationships. Our Members continue to amaze us with their stories and spirit!
We have so much to be thankful for this past year, and moving forward for 2013 but we can not say it enough: Thank you so much for your support and for tuning in for updates! Now get outside. :)
Back to resolutions, football, and winter fun,
Jill
SPRING MADNESS!!
What season do you think is most productive for new ideas, adventures, and stepping out of the box? Is it Fall/Winter when leaves start to turn red/brown and then it gets to be -30* outside? Or is it Spring when flowers start to bloom, the grass turns from brown to green, and the sun is constantly shining outside? I’ll let you take a guess which season I’m leaning towards for my final answer. At Outdoor Mindset, we have a history of Living Big in the Spring. Way back when, when Outdoor Mindset first got started, a great majority of the Board took a trip to New Zealand in April of 2010. For two weeks we explored the South island, and backpacked, beach-camped and bungee jumped through that amazing country. You can check out our full adventure here. And while that seems like so long ago, and just like yesterday all at the same time, the Spring tradition continued last year, when we launched our first ‘March Madness’ fundraising campaign to help raise funds for our Guide/Traveler Program. This included activities including 5ks, huge Adventure Races, and even mustache growing to help spread to OM spirit.
So now here we are, Spring 2012, and how are we going to top ourselves this Sping? Well, there is LOTS going on at Outdoor Mindset, and that’s an understatement. We have two Board Members traveling the world for a year (and skyping in for Board Meetings from beautiful places like Thailand! Checkout their blog here) two Board Members about to take a 4 month adventure to Costa Rica, two moving out to Bozeman, MT (and taking OM with them!), two with new babies this year, Med school domination on the East Coast, and much much more. PLUS, we just hired our first part-time staff member (Welcome Patti!) to help expand and develop our membership programs, which is huge for us! AND, like that’s not enough, we just launched our new fundraising campaign, appropriately titled ‘Spring Madness’ to get people outside, trying new things, and join in on the fun that Outdoor Mindset likes to explore during the Spring Season, while raising funds for our Meet-Up Groups.
Check out our Crowdrise Page to see all the amazing things we’re doing for this Spring Madness campaign, and get involved in a project, or just flat out donate! Like I said, our focus for this campaign is to raise funds for our biggest 2012 initiative - Outdoor Meetup Groups within our membership program- to strengthen connections and inspire members to get outside. What a better way to build a connected Outdoor Mindset membership than to get outside together? Since many expenses go along with managing this program; such as the technology platform to manage events, labor costs associated with managing the program, outreach materials, food & beverage costs, rental expenses, etc., we’ve set at $10k goal for Spring Madness and need your help to reach that numbers. So come get involved, join in on the fun and start your own pattern of Living Big in the Spring… we wouldn’t have it any other way!
And just in case I wasn’t clear –
to join in on our Crowdrise Spring Madness event, donate, or for no other reason, just to see how cool we are. :)
Hope you're all having a great week - and Happy Spring!
Jill
Take a Moment to Feel Alive and Thankful this Holiday Season
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF OUR OUTDOOR MINDSET FRIENDS AND FAMILY!
This year, don't let the craziness of the holidays overtake your life. With family coming into town, gifts to find, things to do, houses to clean, and meals to be made, let's all not forget to cherish the little moments during the holidays that should be the primary meaning of this season:
to give thanks and spend time with those you love, doing the things you love, which hopefully also includes some R&R in the outdoors, as well.
To help put this in perspective, we have a guest blog from one of our fabulous Outdoor Mindset Guides, Natalie. In her story you'll read below, you'll find that amidst recovery from brain surgery (and you think the holidays are stressful!), Natalie found herself in the middle of a lake in her kayak giving thanks for every second out on the water, feeling alive and thankful for her neurological experience and the new path her life was on. Take this inspiring and amazing story with you this holiday season and give thanks for the many blessings you have in your life, and take on a new appreciation for the little moments we should all be thankful for.
Here she goes:
The "New Normal for Natalie"
My journey with neurological challenge began in April of 2005 with what the radiologist report said, "accidental find" - a brain tumor in my right anterior temporal lobe, about the size of a golf ball. It was a Friday morning. I was so confused about the information they handed me on the paper that I went home and began to google all the types of tumors and the impacts to the areas of the brain that may be affected by my type of tumor. What I found was pretty upsetting and I didn't have anyone to talk to about it. I didn't want to scare my family and yet, I needed emotional support. Hearing "brain tumor" is a pretty scary thing and the thoughts of "Okay, now what the hell do I do?" are the ones that come first, finding all the information you can and then of course determining the approach with your doctors is the process that isn't so easy to have patience to endure. I wanted answers quickly and found that in some cases, they simply don't have answers to provide. Plus, everyone and every situation is different. I was thankful cancer was ruled out and still, I had a tumor that caused "mass effect" in my head.
My approach was to rule out some of the serious side affects that "may" happen if we waited and watched my tumor for a while. My wonderful team of doctors (really love them) admitted that they really didn't know much about my type of tumor and given, that it represented less than 1% of all intercranial masses, they were very rare. I truly appreciated their direct, honest feedback and the amount of time they spent with me to understand what I was facing.
With MRI's planned every six months (unless new symptoms appeared) - we "watched" my tumor. We watched it slowly grow. I knew it was growing given the increase in pain I had been experiencing from the intercranial pressure, it's similar to the symptoms of meningitis. I could deal with those and often wondered what a "regular" headache would feel like. My pain tolerance began to increase and dealing with the pain became routine. All this while working full time in a management executive role - and being a single mom to 2 wonderful boys.
We watched it... In the mean time - I continued to do the things I loved outdoors; fly fishing, kayaking, hiking, water/snow skiing, boating, Occasionally, I would be debilitated with the pain and be in bed for a day or two but I was able to get back into the swing of things quickly. I rarely missed a day of work and learned to push through the pain or "nut up" as my sons would say. ;-)
In the fall of 2008 I started to feel different. The painful "headaches" were getting more frequent, lasted longer and I became WAY more sensitive to light and noise. I also noticed my sleep was far more interrupted.
On December 19th, 2008 I experienced my first partial complex seizure. Everything changed on that day. I was alone, had just come down the stairs of my home when out of blue, with no warning my head/neck were rigid and my chin was close to my left shoulder, my left arm was rigid and I couldn't move it. I felt my way to the bathroom with my right hand, sat down and waited. The seizure lasted about 60 seconds but seemed much longer. I was confused - I didn't know what to do. In my post seizure funk, I drove to work.
It wasn't until I was at work for a while that I realized what I had just been through. So, I went back home and called my doctors. I was immediately put on Kepra and a few other drugs. The MRI revealed my tumor had grown to about the size of an egg and surgery was scheduled. I asked for the surgery to be in March of 2009 so that I had time to get my "house" in order. The list of risks from the surgery was long. After you read "death" - all the other ones seem like pretty good outcomes.
The seizure clinic revealed I was having partial complex seizures through the night as well. No wonder I couldn't sleep. And, that the cause of the bigger seizure was the growth of the tumor.
My surgeons did an amazing job with the craniotomy. Prior to the surgery they said there was a 50% chance my tumor would come back. After the surgery, they felt it was less than that and had hope I wouldn't need surgical intervention in the future. But again, we're "watching" it.
I had many challenges to face before, during and after the surgery. The most important message I think I can share is to learn to accept there will be a "New Normal" for you when you're faced with a neurological challenge. Folks would ask me if I was 100% - back to normal. I think it took me a while to realize that through such adversity and challenge I could not help but be changed as a person. After my recovery, I was more grateful for everything from the smallest thing like birds visiting my bird feeders to being able to hold my sons. I looked at everything differently. My New Normal was a gift.
This picture of me in my "cloud" kayak was taken about 9 weeks after my surgery. It was the first outdoor experience I'd been able to have after my surgery. It was a turning point for me in my recovery. I had many weeks of confusion, fear, worry and stress. Because my tumor was pushing on my emotion center - with so much pressure that it actually also thinned the skull wall - I felt confused a lot and I suffered short term memory loss. I would often wonder "Am I feeling the right thing, did I say the right thing, was I empathic, did I even know how to be empathetic any more....... etc." But I couldn't find the words to share that with anyone. I would express that frustration in other ways towards those that I loved. Like complaining that there were no pictures of my recovery. What that really meant was - I need some evidence of what happened, I have no memory of it. But again, I couldn't find the words to say that...
Being on the lake that ONE day in my kayak and my belly boat fishing was the first time after my surgery where I didn't worry. I didn't feel like a victim of a brain tumor. I was ALIVE. I savored the warmth of the sun on my face, I prayed to God and gave my thanks for getting me through my challenge, I dropped my hand in the water and appreciated that my hands worked, I cried at the beauty of the calm mountain lake water and each fish I caught (and released) I would kiss them and thank them for biting my fly. I didn't worry about how to tie my flies or how to cast - it came naturally to me and I was grateful for every single second...
That trip fly fishing was by far the biggest catalyst in my healing. After that trip, my short term memory challenges began to subside. I had renewed hope and strength to fight. I was able to get off most of the meds by June and went back to work. I traveled internationally to Sweden in mid June and kayaked there as well.
Being outdoors, in nature - especially around water and then doing the things that I used to love prior to my surgery helped me realize that I am settling into my "New Normal" and it's pretty damn cool to come out the other side of all this as a survivor.
I was introduced to Kyle, from Outdoor Mindset, by my surgeon - we have the same team of doctors. I am honored to be part of the Outdoor Mindset team and cannot express enough gratefulness for a group like this existing. Being a Guide also helps me by being able to "give back" or "pay it forward" - by sharing my experience. After all is said and done - when you connect with another person facing a neurological challenge, no matter where they are in the process - you GET IT. There are no words that can be expressed to share what that connection is like - it's deep, powerful and a feeling of relief comes over you that you don't have to try and explain what is going on in your head. It's SO helpful to have someone to talk to - someone who has been there. I hope I can be that "someone" for many folks and I would feel blessed to be next to you in your journey.
~Outdoor Mindset Guide, Natalie
I don't think any other words are needed.
Live BIG this Holiday Season and thank you for everything you do,
Jill
Outdoor Mindset Chili Cook-off 2011 - YUM
Well, they say a thank you is "Better late than Never" and I truly hope you all agree with that statement because we are almost 2 months past our 2nd Annual Chili Cook-off which was on October 23rd at Avery Brewing Company... and we owe everyone who came or participated in any way, shape, or form a BIG THANK YOU, because this event was a huge success for us. 
room) and were absolutely fabulous. These guys both came out special for this event, so we can not thank them enough!
Play Your Cards Right- Like Channing
Today we have a special guest blog from one of the most inspiring, awesome almost-18 year olds I've ever met! Channing, who lives in beautiful Basalt, Colorado, contacted us at
about some ways to get involved and help spread the good word about Outdoor Mindset. We thought the perfect Step 1 would be sharing her amazing story of LIVING BIG with epilepsy and continuing to get outdoors as a form of inspiration and solace in her life.
Here's a little background on Channing before she jumps in: She was born and raised in Aspen, her favorite colors are
orange
and
purple
, loves almost all things outdoors, and is interning with Glenwood Vet Clinic. Oh yeah, and she's a killer when it comes to Texas Hold'em!
Here is what she has to say to you all:
"Everyone is dealt a bad hand in life. It’s what you do with that hand that makes one so unique. This can be anywhere from being rich to divorce, epilepsy to quadriplegic, homeless to starving. Everything in life may not happen for a reason, but without the bad in life, we cannot experience the good. I graduated high school on the 28th, so I am no expert, but I do know, I would not be the person I am today without it.
My dreams about becoming a veterinarian technician-possible vet, an EMT, and ski coach came earlier than I thought. I started riding horses when I was five years old and started competing in hunters at the age of seven. However, three years later I was diagnosed with epilepsy after having multiple tonic clonics. My passion, what my life revolved around seemed to be gone. Epilepsy didn’t take anything away from me. My family and I, instead, created a solution. We got a titanium helmet, and in the event I fall off, we got an inflatable air vest that protects not only my head and neck, but all of my internal organs. My first epileptologist didn’t like the idea of an epileptic riding horses and thought I should have collected stamps. 1) Every horseback rider falls off, 2) horses have an amazing connection and sense with their rider and in the end will come to a halt if they sense something is wrong… I’ve had two tonic clonic seizures on my horse and as well myoclonic jerks, and 3) I’m not the only one falling off their horse, it could happen to anybody, maybe people I ride with will have a seizure on their horse unexpectedly out of the blue. Because of my horsing habit, I believe in animal therapy so much. Now I jump four feet and compete against professionals in more advanced shows that go on for two weeks all around Colorado. I have a crazy dream of going to the Olympics.
I work for the manager at the ranch (Cozy Point Ranch) I board my horse at. There I have learned not only about good horsemanship, but how to care for horses if they are injured. I found my interest in veterinarian medicine there when we were caring for a horse that had fell down a cliff and its owner asked Cozy Point Ranch help take care of him. The manager asked me to clean its wounds out, wrap him, put gauze on his back, and scrape the scabs off that I could. That’s where I started out. Today I do ride along's with one of our local vet clinics. Now I get to do post mortems on cows, castrate calves, and do pre purchases on horses, look for arthritis in horses’ legs, and much more hands on.
I’ve always loved blood and guts, but twelve years of medical school wasn’t for me. I was able to take a first responder course and get certified in October of 2010. Since then I follow up with once a month refresher medical classes through the fire department. This fall I hope to get my EMT.
Skiing has been a large part of my life living in the mountains. I knew how to ski before I knew how to walk. Later I joined the freestyle program at a ski club we have. I started competing in small competitions around Colorado. When I stopped competing because it wasn’t for me, the director of the program asked if I wanted to be the club’s first coach in training. Three years later I was an assistant coach, and next thing I knew, I had my own group as a ski coach. I wear climbing harness with no legs, connected to a daisy chain with a carabineer on the chair lift. It acts like a seat belt in the event I would have a seizure on the chair, I wouldn’t fall off. The harness goes through the belt loops on my ski pants, I throw the daisy chain over the back of the chair and under, and then the carabineer connects to the harness. The group I teach knows how it works. At the beginning of each year, I tell the kids what epilepsy is, and what to do in the event I have a seizure. I give a lecture to the parents at the beginning of each year as well.
This past winter I did an internship with ski patrol. I loved how they took me out of bounds, under closed ropes, showed me avalanche areas, and did training with me. They taught me how to drive a toboggan and showed me the ropes.
It’s not what cards you are dealt; it’s what you do with the cards dealt to you.
You can find a solution, or become isolated. But you only live once, and you don’t want to ruin all the potential you have.
“The idea being to accept fully what you are.”
~ Mattox
is a great example of living life to its fullest despite having a neurological disorder. Still using a safe environment, this organization is just one of many that shows you can still lead an active lifestyle, pursue your dreams, and be an everyday person, while living with epilepsy or another neurological dis-order. It gives those who are isolated a chance to be “normal”, whatever “normal” means… Don’t waste talent or any goal for that matter, because I guarantee there is a solution that allows you to keep your hopes up.
- Channing Seideman, almost-18 (yes, that's right, just 18)
Now who wants to talk about limits? Let this story remind us that there are no limits in life, just obstacles we need to work around and dominate.
Learn more about Channing’s continued story and success in overcoming her epilepsy here.
can be there to help with this journey every step of the way.
Over and Out,
j