Matt Bambrough: Adaptive Sports Change Lives

There is nothing like the beauty of sport that can change your outcome on life forever! 

I have always been an active person. I had a love for the outdoors from the beginning. Learning new things and experiencing new adventures outdoors seemed to always be something I loved. That is why at the age of 19 being involved in a serious car accident that left me paralyzed from the chest down and diagnosed a quadriplegic seemed to feel like the end of the world. In fact, as my mom rushed to my hospital bed that night, I asked her if this is what she meant when she said to me so many times before that “there are worse things in life than dying.” 

My name is Matt Bambrough, I was diagnosed with a C6/7 quadriplegic nearly 23 years ago. I am paralyzed from the chest down, I have no abdominal muscles, and have limited dexterity and grip in my hands. Although I have limitations, this injury does not define me but pushes me to be a better husband, father, brother, son, and friend every day. It pushes me to test the limits of what my modified body can do and allows me to tap into an extended mental capacity to go beyond what others may perceive me to accomplish. 

Months after being injured, there were absolutely zero expectations of me accomplishing anything outside of dressing, feeding myself, and learning to use the bathroom again. That was why I looked to surprise others, and to surprise myself. That was when I was introduced to the sport Wheelchair Rugby, also known as Murderball, and for the first time in my paralyzed life, I found a sport and an opportunity that made me feel alive. I was able to compete, to push myself, to feel accomplishment, loss, and hard work. I met individuals that pushed me to be better and shared experiences that I wanted for my life. One such individual told me about an organization called WAS, or Wasatch Adaptive Sports. A group of people that would encourage and support people like me to participate in outdoor sports like cycling, downhill skiing, and more. 

My first encounter with WAS was 3 years ago when I started downhill skiing with them. From the first outing, I was impressed with the staff, volunteers, and instructors. They were very interested in me. They wanted to know my family and my goals. They allowed me to participate with my son and my dad. As I continued to ski with them, other opportunities presented themselves. I started hand-cycling with their hand-cycling group and was eventually invited to participate with their competitive hand-cycling group. This group was designed to train for tougher rides and races.

In 2018, I had set a goal to ride 50 miles in the NAC Summit Challenge. Four days before the race, I was admitted to the hospital for a serious infection in my leg that made me miss out on that ride. I had been training for months and was very disappointed in not being able to attempt this challenge. Fast forward to this year, 2019, and I signed up to do the 50-mile Summit Challenge again. This time I had the support of the WAS team and was without infection, however, it wasn’t without major anxiety and hesitation. You see, this would be the longest ride I had ever done, and with the combination of record miles and the amount of elevation I would be riding seemed like a near-impossible task. My incredible WAS support riders, Maddy Grainger and Dave Schoeneck, had complete confidence that I would be able to complete the ride. I had participated in prior races like the Salt Lake and St. George Marathons, but this was the first ride over 30 miles that I had ever attempted. 

So along with Maddy and Dave, we began our journey. In my mind I thought, I would get to the lunch support location, which was about 30 miles in, and then see how I was feeling, and most likely finish up there. The first climb into Kamas along the backside of Jordanelle Reservoir was a major climb, but as they say, what goes up, must come down, and we flew down the backside into Kamas at about 47 miles an hour. 

I felt good and strong for the first 25-30 miles, but the heat was starting to affect me slightly. As part of my injury, I do not sweat. The part of my body that produces sweat that cools the body is also paralyzed. Many people think this is a great thing, because I don’t stink from perspiration, and I save a lot of money on deodorant, however, it can be a major detriment when exercising in extreme heat. Maddy and Dave were at my side cooling me down, pouring water on me and at my request, even wetting down my socks. 

The final climb of the Summit Challenge is up the backside of Browns Canyon. This is a strenuous climb of roughly 7.2 miles up a 3.2% grade and a climb of about 800 feet in elevation, up and out of Oakley and back into Park City and the finish line. I had studied the course prior and knew that this was going to be a major challenge, and it proved to be exactly that and even more so. 

Roughly 3 miles into the Browns Canyon climb, I continued to heat up and began to feel light-headed and my first doubts about completing the ride crept into my mind. Dave, Maddy, and Josh, an old high school buddy of mine, were there to support me the entire way. Providing water, Gatorade, a number of pushes, and even shade with their bodies allowed me to make the near-impossible climb. 

There have been many people in my life that have inspired me to push through obstacles and challenges in my life, but none more important than my wife Krista. Shortly after my accident my future wife and I were on a walk, me in my wheelchair learning to push and navigate the terrain and her walking beside me. We came to a small incline, and what I would be embarrassed now to say was a hill and I began to struggle. Finally out of strength, I looked at her and said “do you mind giving me a push?” and with an encouraging look in her eye she simply said, “Push Yourself!” I knew I would one day marry this woman and that simple statement has become a motto in our lives.

So, during those moments up Browns Canyon when I thought I couldn’t go on, and with the incredible mental, physical and moral support of my WAS friends, Maddy, Dave, and Josh, I decided that I didn’t quit then and I won’t quit now, and decided to push myself.

Never underestimate the power of people that can encourage and inspire others to give their best and to never quit! Remember to always “push yourself,” you never know what you might accomplish! Thanks again to all my WAS friends for the incredible ride, I couldn’t have done it without you!