Living With HOPE Guest: Josh Wood

Eleven years ago today, Josh had the international snowboarding world at his feet, literally.

Back home after a year in Switzerland, he embarked on a ‘stupid’ jump which saw him fly into the air, turn upside down and land head first on an icy road. As he hit the ground, the sound of his neck breaking was like a shot gun, he said.

Josh nearly died three times on the helicopter ride to the Austin hospital, where doctors proclaimed he would never walk again. After four months of clandestine, unconventional therapy, performed when the doctors had gone home at night, Josh was able to walk out of hospital, albeit with a awkward walk, and supported by his walking stick.

These days, Josh is a budding entrepreneur with a street wear range as well as a professional speaker, inspiring school children, street kids and business people. He also mentors other spinal cord victims, though he has never called himself a victim or quadriplegic. She says. “I made a stupid split-second decision; my fault. Yet it was the best thing that ever happened to me!”