Eric Harness Below Injury Recovery

Eric Harness, CSCS, CSRS III
Co-Founder / Director of Research and Development

Eric graduated from San Diego State University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Athletic Training and a Minor in Psychology. He then received a post-graduate certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In 1998, he met Ted and started training high school, college, and Olympic athletes in Ted’s facility. Six months later Ted began seeing Mike Thomas, his first SCI client. Eric watched as Mike began to progress and became intrigued; people with spinal cord injuries were not supposed to be able to gain function below the level of injury. He began assisting Ted and learning what he was doing with Mike. Project Walk had begun…

Eric is now the Director of Research and Development for Project Walk and a Level III Certified SCI Recovery Specialist. In the past 11 years he developed many of the exercise techniques used with our clients, was responsible for developing the Home Program, designed a new evaluation scale (Developmental Activity Scale™ or DAS), and built the database Project Walk uses to track client workouts. In 2006 he began collaborating with the University of California, Irvine and California State University San Marcos on multiple research projects focusing on the Project Walk program and spinal cord injuries. His first paper arising out of these collaborations was published in 2008.  He has published multiple papers in peer-reviewed journals. Eric has also worked with manufacturers and independent engineers to design unique equipment for the benefit of Project Walk’s clients.