Michael’s journey began one Saturday night in college, on that fateful rooftop, when chimney bricks ripped free in his hands and he fell.

It has always been his most “fortunate misfortune".

Those bricks, he reminds others proudly and often, were meant to rip free.

As a former two-sport collegiate athlete, and despite his paralysis, Michael earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Randolph-Macon College in 2008 and his Masters in American Military History from George Mason University in 2012, while writing and pursuing adaptive sports.

“When I Fell: How I Rerouted My Life and Found Strength In a Severed Spine” is book one of his memoir series.

After chasing a Paralympic dream for years as a handcyclists and skier, Michael now speaks to college audiences—and students of all ages—on how to master life transitions and persevere properly to grow stronger, smarter, more resilient so they can become the persons they're meant to be.

When Michael is not speaking or writing, you can find him somewhere outside enjoying the Colorado sunshine with his wife Casey, two kids Dylan and Quinn, and their German Shepherd Gunner!