There are two things that helped me get through life, art and sports. Art gave me a way to express myself and helped me to communicate with the world when I didn’t have the words. When I was a kid we moved around a lot because of my father’s job. By the time, I was thirteen years old we have moved twelve times and I had gone to six different schools between kindergarten and eighth grade. The hardest part about moving around so much was that I was constantly the “new kid” at school and never really found a place where I fit in. Sports gave me a chance to feel like I belonged somewhere. I was never great or the star athlete, but I loved being a part of the team and pushing myself physically.
When I was growing up I played a wide variety of sports but soccer was my favorite by far. I haven’t been able to play for years for a variety of reasons. I tried to stay active but after years of repetitively spraining both ankles and living in chronic pain as a result I eventually realized that my days of playing soccer were over.
When I first decided to pursue a career in photography my primary focus was largely on landscapes because it didn’t require talking or having to interact with people. I would grab my camera and head out to check out the various hiking trails in the area. At the time I was living in Grand Junction, Colorado and there were plenty places to explore and choose from. I was able stay relatively active and take some pretty cool photos along the way. But in September 2012, I was finally able to get my right ankle fixed and was no longer living with constant pain. The doctor told me there was no chance I’d be able to play soccer, but I could at least start running again.
I attempted my first 5k in August 2013 and even though I wasn’t able to finish it I was hooked. I may not be the fastest person out there and may not be able to run as well as I'd like to, but it doesn't keep from getting out there and doing it. I've learned a lot of great life lessons through running too. In February 2017, I tore one of the menisci in my right knee and then got rear ended a couple months later but I didn't let it stop me even though I had to take a long break to let the various injuries heal, at least not right away.
