Summit 2016


The 2016 Summit took place on July 15-17, 2016, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Click the links below for more information.

Cullowhee

Keynote Speaker | Friday Night Speaker | Clinicians | Schedule | Sponsors | Photos

Friday Night Speaker

Stacey Kozel is attempting to thru hike the Appalachian Trail this year, and to say she has made a splash would be an understatement!! She started this spring and was immediately featured in a small paper. She joked on her Facebook page that she was not comfortable talking about herself but that she really wanted her story to help others. In the months to come, her fame has spread and now, everywhere I go, people ask me, "Hey...did you see that woman on the Today Show that is hiking the A.T.? She is paralyzed!!!" I just smile and say, not only have I heard of her, but she is coming to our Summit. Here is her story in her own words:

"I have always wanted to hike the AT but after becoming paralyzed in March 2014 I wasn't sure I would get the chance. Thanks to many people and a special high teck brace, I will be setting out to attempt the AT this year. I hiked Mt. Katahdin in October 2015 with bracs that locked my knees and were much more difficult to maneuver. I can't wait to see what I can do in my new braces. My goal is to bring awareness to these braces and hopefully get more people out of wheelchairs and have the ability to be out exploring the world. When insurance companies deny people due to 'it's not necessary,' I hope my story will prove the opposite. I hope to see everyone on the trail!"

Day One