(Hot Rod Rock & Rumble Drivers) Event #5, 2020

Ron Nidetch

Ron is a medically retired United States Air Force Veteran who served in different countries where he received many injuries, including a double-amputation. After being discharged, Ron wanted to continue to serve and help people, so he decided to go into law enforcement and the fire department and EMS field. After many college courses, he was led to the medical field and began working in trauma surgeries. He had an opportunity to work in the labor and delivery department of the hospital, and was hooked on the very first delivery. After ending his medical career due to his military injuries, he now serves as a Move United (formerly Warfighter Sports) ambassador, Ron is also a para athlete.

Ana Manciaz

Always the curious one, Ana’s adventure started as a Grease monkey in the shop pits. After an Army enlistment of five years, she graduated from college and couldn’t resist dawning a motorcycle helmet and leathers. She lost her leg in 2014 after a truck pulled out in front of her motorcycle. Thanks to veteran non-profits, she became a para-triathlete and was able to surf, scuba dive, cycle, run, water ski, skeleton sled and even get a kiss from Prince Harry on the podium. She says she wouldn’t change a thing. Watching adaptive veterans like herself, crash through obstacles helped her to achieve her goals and was key to continuing a career at VA after the loss of her leg. She’s had the honor to participate in pre triathlons surrounded by others with the same injuries – who have pushed to adapt to the activity they love. Everyday, she says we stand on the shoulders of those before us. Now it’s her turn to stand with her sisters and brothers in arms as a testament to what community and strength can achieve. She feels she has been given a gift – a chance to overcome fears and redefine both her physical and spiritual capabilities. “Let us together prove that our place in the community is only defined by how our passions benefit one another. Let’s be a community with adaptive hearts and adaptive minds not only today, but everyday.”

(Dover Drivers) Event #4, 2019

LD Lewis
LD Is retired from the Army after 28 years of active duty. LD was born in Tampa, Florida. While serving in Desert Storm 1 LD hurt his knee. After years of issues with his knee , in January 2019 he had it amputated below the knee. LD is retired now and resides in the Dover, Delaware area.

Joseph Tucker, Army
Joseph is a retired Airborne Infantryman serving 4 years. While stationed at Fort Campbell in 1983, Joseph suffered frost bite to both feet while on a training mission. Through years of complications from the frost bite Joseph had to have his left leg amputated below the knee in 2013.

Joseph will be receiving a new leg socket in September.

He is now retired and living in Dover,Delaware.

CMSgt Antony Rice
My name is CMSgt Antony Rice, I am native of Dayton, Ohio, enlisted in the Air Force Reserve in June 1990 and began my military career at Wright Patterson Air Force Base OH, as a Personnel Specialist. While assigned at WPAFB Ohio, I was activated in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1994 I went on to further my military career as an Air Force Reserve Technician at Kelly AFB Texas. In 1995, I entered the Active Guard and Reserve Program as a recruiter. I held several positions while assigned in the recruiting field, Superintendent, Flight Chief, Senior recruiter, Lead recruiter, Squadron trainer, In-Service Recruiter, and Line recruiter. I have been serving in the Air Force for 29 years.

In October of 2016 I woke up in a hospital, confused as to why was there and what happened. I was told I was involved in a serious Motorcycle accident. I don’t remember that day but through

the police report and accounts from those on scene and hospital I was on my way home from work and a truck turned left in front of me, I hit the truck head on and was thrown 50 feet. I was told a had to be resuscitated in the care flight helicopter. I underwent over the course of the initial 3-4 days, three surgeries to repair fractured pelvis, fractured right hip, fractured L5 and dislocated left wrist. I was in an induced coma for 15 days. The military immediately flew my parents and oldest daughter to NJ didn’t think I was going to survive. According to my trauma surgeon he said I wouldn’t walk again, and that most people that sustained my injuries wouldn’t even survive let alone make it to the hospital. I spent a total of 6 months in the hospital and rehab where I had to learn how to walk again, bathe myself. It was very tough and I went through serious depression and to add to this I was going through a divorce. I have had several subsequent surgeries have decreased sensation and motor function in both of my legs and feet resulting in permanent bilateral foot drop. (But I’m still standing). 

I was introduced to the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, while rehabbing, but I didn’t deem myself worthy of help from AFW2 because to me, my wounds were not as a result of combat related injuries. My recovery care coordinator assured me otherwise.  The AFW2 Program was able to give me hope in my recovery by introducing me to many programs such as adaptive sports, where I now compete as an adaptive archer and recumbent cycler.

Henry G. Stifel, III
Henry G. Stifel, III is a Senior Vice President in the Private Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley and has obtained his Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1999. He joined as an Investment Representative in June of 2000 after eleven years with the Firm with a focus on asset allocation strategies and portfolio management. Prior to PWM, Henry’s professional experience includes five years with the Firm’s Asset Management Division as an equity research associate and junior portfolio manager for the Investment Group, and six years with Morgan Stanley’s Fixed Income Division with a focus on municipal underwriting.
Henry is a graduate from the College of William and Mary, Vice-Chair of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, former Trustee of The Pingry School, co-chair of the Morgan Stanley Disability Network and serves on their National Diversity Council. . In addition, he resides on The Kessler Foundation Consumer Advocacy Board and is a board member for The New York City Transit’s Advisory Committee for Transit Accessibility.

Rob Parsons (Chairslayer)
My name is Rob Parsons but most know me as Chairslayer. There’s a reason for that name and it all starts back in 2011 when I broke my back riding dirt bike. When I fell I knew my life had instantly changed so it was easy for me to accept what had happened. Fast forward 6 months of recovery in the hospital and a very determined attitude I set out to create a hand controlled trolled drift car like no other. Since I had been racing cars for a long time before my accident I knew how to build a proper race car, but what I didn’t know was all the skills required to build an electronic clutch and shifting system. It took a while but after some time I finished my car and it’s safe to say, it is one of a kind.

Building this car set me out on a career path I had always dreamed of. I moved from Alberta Canada to Long Beach California to pursue my passion. I soon realized that other individuals in wheelchairs had the same passion but there was no opportunities for them to drive a car like mine. I soon decided to form “The Chairslayers Foundation” with my good friend Eliza Coleman. We both had a passion for helping people and Motorsports is an incredible way to push people to their limits and inspire others to challenge themselves.

After finishing the car and starting the foundation I became a regular driver and personality with the brand Hoonigan. We started a YouTube show called “The Unprofessionals” which quickly took off and I soon found myself in the spotlight all over the world. We are constantly filming YouTube episodes and videos to post on the internet of all the crazy car stuff we do. I never thought my life would go this way and I’m looking forward to pushing the limits for the rest of my life.

Rob Parsons
Founder, The Chairslayers Foundation
www.chairslayer.org

Ryan Christian Major

I Joined the Army after high school in 2003. Deployed to Iraq from my duty station in Friedberg, Germany in 2006. 11 months Into my tour I was blown up by an IED while on a raid mission. 

(Pikes Peak Drivers) Event #3, 2019

Rob Parsons (Chairslayer)
My name is Rob Parsons but most know me as Chairslayer. There’s a reason for that name and it all starts back in 2011 when I broke my back riding dirt bike. When I fell I knew my life had instantly changed so it was easy for me to accept what had happened. Fast forward 6 months of recovery in the hospital and a very determined attitude I set out to create a hand controlled trolled drift car like no other. Since I had been racing cars for a long time before my accident I knew how to build a proper race car, but what I didn’t know was all the skills required to build an electronic clutch and shifting system. It took a while but after some time I finished my car and it’s safe to say, it is one of a kind.

Building this car set me out on a career path I had always dreamed of. I moved from Alberta Canada to Long Beach California to pursue my passion. I soon realized that other individuals in wheelchairs had the same passion but there was no opportunities for them to drive a car like mine. I soon decided to form “The Chairslayers Foundation” with my good friend Eliza Coleman. We both had a passion for helping people and Motorsports is an incredible way to push people to their limits and inspire others to challenge themselves.

After finishing the car and starting the foundation I became a regular driver and personality with the brand Hoonigan. We started a YouTube show called “The Unprofessionals” which quickly took off and I soon found myself in the spotlight all over the world. We are constantly filming YouTube episodes and videos to post on the internet of all the crazy car stuff we do. I never thought my life would go this way and I’m looking forward to pushing the limits for the rest of my life.

Rob Parsons
Founder, The Chairslayers Foundation
www.chairslayer.org

Lawrence Green, ARMY
Born: July 2, 1988
Injured: March 29, 2015
Injury: Bilateral Above Knee Amputations

Athlete Bio:

Born and raised in Springtown, TX, Lawrence joined the United States Army as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic in 2008. He was initially stationed in South Korea with 2^nd Infantry Division and then moved to Fort Hood, TX with the First Cavalry Division. During this time, Lawrence was deployed to Iraq for about a year and was honorably discharged in 2012.

As a civilian, Lawrence used his mechanic experience to become a Heavy Equipment Technician in DFW. On March 29, 2015, while riding his motorcycle, a reckless driver struck Lawrence head-on. Lawrence was thrown into the curb and then launched into a small tree and rolled down the street. Lawrence spent the next month in a medically induced coma during which he had 9 surgeries. One of them was to amputate both legs above his knees. He was on Dialysis and given a 3% chance of survival.

When Lawrence woke up, his first question was “Where is my motorcycle?” Unfortunately, this was the least of his worries. He now had to come to terms with how he was going to live with no legs. This was difficult to digest but Lawrence was thankful to be alive. Knowing his faith in God, he knew he was given a new purpose. Lawrence spent the next 2 months in the hospital recovering and then was off to rehab to gain the strength he needed to return home.

Once released, Lawrence had to figure out what exactly God’s plan was. That’s when a veteran friend gave him a phone number to call. The voice on the other end was the Adaptive Training Foundation. When Lawrence met with David for the first time, he was still very atrophied and had a wound vac on his left limb. David did not see someone broken or injured, he saw a man with motivation to take the path God had laid out. This was to become an inspiration to others and motivate them to become the best version of themselves.

After participating in a few classes over a 2-year period of time, Lawrence became a volunteer trainer at the Adaptive Training Foundation. He really enjoys training and giving back to the amputee community. Lawrence is now pursuing his personal training certification to continue his love of fitness.

The Adaptive Training Foundation has been a quintessential part of Lawrence’s fitness goals. This program allowed Lawrence to participate in Wheelchair Basketball, Powerlifting, Wheelchair Rugby, Mono-skiing, Adaptive Snowmobiling, and Para Ice Hockey. Lawrence fell in love with Para Ice Hockey so he joined the Dallas Stars Sled Hockey team. Lawrence’s speed and agility have significantly improved and he is looking forward to the upcoming season to start.

Lawrence has set big goals for himself and hopes to make the Paralympic team in 2022. In the meantime, he will try out annually for the national team.

(Richmond Raceway Drivers) Event #2, 2019

Trevon Jenifer

Trevon Jenifer has no legs as a result of being born with congenital amputation. Trevon broke and still holds the records in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 meter races for wheelchair track in the U11 and U14 age groups. He competed in wheelchair track and basketball until the age of 12 and then changed schools and competed in wrestling his junior and senior year in high school. His senior year he finished third in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference with a record of 32-8. Trevon was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006.  Trevon attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology.

Trevon made his first Team USA appearance in 2009 when he was on the U23 Team that took gold in Junior World’s Championship. He then made the Men’s National Team in 2010 and has been a member since.  He is a two-time U.S. Paralympian and won a bronze medal in the Paralympic Games London 2012 and gold medal in the Paralympic Games Rio 2016. In 2013-2015, Trevon played professional wheelchair basketball in the South of France.  In October of 2015, Trevon became a proud father to a baby girl named Saraeya.

Steve Serio

Steve Serio is a wheelchair basketball player and New York native.  Steve was paralyzed after undergoing surgery at 11 months old to have a spinal tumor removed and began playing wheelchair basketball at 15 years old.  Steve led his high school to a national championship title and after high school, he played for the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

Steve is a three-time U.S. Paralympian, and two-time medalist, winning a bronze medal in the Paralympic Games London 2012 and gold medalist in the Paralympic Games Rio 2016. As a co-captain of the USA Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team, he led the American men to their first Paralympic gold medal since 1988 in Rio 2016. In 2017, Serio won the ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability.

Will Waller

Will Waller is currently a Board Member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. He’s been involved in the sport for 25 years, becoming involved after being shot and sustaining a spinal cord injury growing up in Chicago in 1992, as a result of inner-city violence. Will has had success on every level of the sport, including 2 Paralympic bronze medals, 2 World Championship gold medals and 1 World Championship bronze medal. He is an active board member focused on giving back to the sport, its current athletes and future members. The sport fueled a once dormant desire to succeed, which not only manifested itself on and off the court.

In addition to his board role, Will is an executive recruiter and speaker in the areas of leadership, performance and culture. Prior to his current endeavors, Will was a human resource executive at Honeywell International, Whirlpool Corporation and The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. He is most well-known for his passionate approach to teamwork, driving change and taking on the toughest assignments. Will currently lives in Northeast Ohio with his wife, Kylie and their three children. Will is consistently trying to give back by mentoring at risk youth and people who are newly injured.

Ethan Thompson

My name is Ethan Thompson. I am 27 years old and living in Salisbury, Maryland. On July 5th, 2014 I suffered a C7 incomplete spinal cord injury from a diving incident. I spent two months at Magee Rehabilitation in Philadelphia for inpatient therapy and continued outpatient therapy at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. After I completed therapy I decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in business. 

Before my injury I attended The Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia. The apprenticeship taught me business skills as well as welding. I spent one year as a structural welder on the USS Gerald R. Ford nuclear aircraft carrier. I then began structural and pipe welding on several nuclear submarines such as the USS North Dakota, USS Minnesota, USS John Warner, USS Illinois, and USS Washington. It was a great honor to work on the vessels that our military uses to protect our country. 

I was recently able to complete my Associates Degree in Business and plan to pursue my Bachelors Degree with hopes to begin a new career path. I currently try to help contribute to spinal cord injury studies. I have been a volunteer at Magee Rehabilitation to provide knowledge on sensory regeneration. I currently attend sessions at Restorative Therapies in Baltimore, Maryland that help therapists learn how to use FES (functional electrical stimulation) on spinal cord injury patients. 

It’s very exciting to see how Falci Adaptive Motorsport is working with the disabled community. I have been a NASCAR fan my whole life. I grew up a Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan. I attended the Richmond NASCAR races twice a year for several years. The thought of being able to drive a race car on the track I’ve loved is a dream come true.

Will Hoyum, ARMY
Born: January 18, 1985
Injured: June 19, 2012
Injury: Spinal Cord Injury T3

Athlete Bio:

In 2012 Will deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne division. He worked vehicle recovery as a truck commander where he and his unit would go out to recover US Army vehicles and equipment that were hit by IEDs on patrol.

On June 19, 2012, Will and his team had been on a 23 hour mission to run a crane out to a damaged vehicle when he and their convoy got hit by a daisy chain, a string of IED’s that detonate together. 3 trucks were all hit at once and the vehicle Will and his friend were driving had the entire front of the cab ripped off.

As soon as the blast happened, Will knew his back was broken. They flew 40 feet away from the convoy in the cab where they finally crashed down. Thankfully Will’s friend was safe but Will now had to be ex-filled.The blast left will with a T3 break and many fractured vertebrae and ribs.

Will now offers his help to the Adaptive Training Program coaching other athletes like himself, and helping edit and produce a podcast between founder David Vobora and athletes that have been through or are going through ATF’s 9-week program.

TAYLOR GRAHAM

Athlete Bio:
My Name is Taylor Graham and I am 24 years old. I currently live in Lincoln, Ne where I have resided since the 4th grade. On August 29th, 2013 I was involved in a motorcycle accident which involved a van that had no working break lights. Upon topping a hill I noticed the van with no lights on. I didn’t have a visual on the stoplight and consequently assumed that the light was green and that traffic was starting to move, so I looked down to check my speed and looked back up. At this point it was already too late. With the van in the same spot it had been and a curb on my left, I checked right to see if I could ride in-between traffic but the cars were to close together for this to happen. Instantly I engaged both sets of breaks which caused the motorcycle to fishtail. After fishtailing three times the bike up righted and threw me into the air. I traveled 50 feet head first face down like superman and collided with the back of the van six inches below the back window and sustained all of my injuries. Although not the most life threatening of these injuries, the biggest one that impacted my life was a burst fracture to my C6 vertebrae. As a result of this injury I was left an incomplete quadriplegic using a manual wheelchair for most daily mobility. Since my accident I completed 3 months of inpatient therapy, and a little over 2 years of outpatient therapy full time. After completing therapy I went on to get my associates degree in Welding technology. I was the first chair user to complete the full program alongside my able-bodied counterparts. Around the same time I graduated I also had the pleasure of marrying the love of my life Hanna, and we also have two beautiful little girls. In my free time when I am not working, I am practicing and training for competitions in wheelchair tennis. I am on the national team, and also part of the High Performance Development Team through the United States tennis Association. I am currently ranked #34 in the world in the Quad Open Division.