In 2012, Chris Rice broke his neck in a driving accident. He crushed the front of his C7 and nearly drowned. Chris then spent the next five months in rehab working to prove medical professionals who said he would never functionally use his legs or walk again, wrong. Five years later, he danced in front of 200 people at his best friend’s wedding, a moment he described as “the happiest and proudest” of his life. Chris’s achievements were thanks to his dedicated trainers at Walk It Off Spinal Cord Recovery and Wellness Centre who supported him through difficult times. During his time in rehab, Chris met Ivan Rendulic, a Peer Support Coordinator for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario. Inspired by Ivan’s praise for the organization Chris became a Peer Support Volunteer so he “could be there for others.” In this role he visits patients and clients in the hospital and community, assisting them come to accept their injury and take back control of their lives. Chris loves helping people set goals and create plans to achieve them. He provides them motivation by citing his own accomplishments post injury; he’s traveled internationally, driven solo to Nova Scotia, gone jet boating and much, much more. Click the link to meet Chris, an extraordinary man who feels joy giving others hope.
