“We do multiple ski camps a year, ranging from two to four depending on private lake access. Poppen also started free adaptive water skiing camps through his job as a rehabilitation counselor at Valley Children’s Hospital. “I’ve seen how powerful it can be for others to feel and wear it.” “When speaking, I let my audience wear my Olympic Medal,” he says. He competed in the 2004 Athens Paralympics in quad rugby, winning bronze, and in 2008 he went to the Beijing Paralympics for tennis. After his injury at age 16 (he was injured while play-wrestling at a summer camp), adapted sports helped him beat depression, eventually catapulting him to the Paralympics. “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the eyes of someone in my audience ‘get it’ and then be able to hug that person afterwards.”īecoming a motivational speaker was a natural transition for Poppen. Last year he reached over 30,000 students. “Much of my presentation centers around hope, acceptance, not giving up and making the right choice in difficult circumstances,” he says. of “Hugs by Brent,” the happy energy he emanates is unforgettable. With his bleached blond hair and his M.O. There are a lot of people who turn to motivational speaking post-SCI, but the kind of speaking Brent Poppen, a C5-7 quadriplegic from Paso Robles, California, does, stands out. Opens in a new window Hugs with a Higher Purpose

Tragedy on the Mountain by Brent Poppen