My LRO Story - Patrick Ivison

Age: 14

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Sport: Surfing

Patrick Ivison sustained a spinal cord injury when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident as a small child; however, that has never slowed this active teenager down. At 14-years-old, Patrick’s been a featured athlete in the US Open of Surfing, appeared on the Today Show for his inspirational outlook on life, and is a proud member of his high school surf team. Earlier this year, he also placed fourth in the Challenged Athletes Division at the Western Surfing Association (WSA) West Coast Championships.

As an LRO ambassador, Patrick utilizes his age to inspire young people with spinal cord injury. He explains, “It is important to get back out there and live life to the fullest, with or without an injury, and LRO can easily help those with SCI do so.”

In addition to his work at Life Rolls On, Patrick recently became a spokesperson for ThinkFirst, a national injury prevention foundation which advocates for injury prevention through education, research and policy. Each year, he also hosts a “Help Patrick Walk” Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament to raise money for his treatments at Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center.