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Mason Branstrator’s life took an abrupt and dramatic turn when he was seventeen years old. Mason, a Minnesota native who was an ardent athlete and skilled skier, was having a routine downhill run when everything changed. He crashed after doing a high-speed jump, breaking his T-12 vertebra, which rendered him paralyzed from the waist down.
Mason remembers, “I remember thinking, ‘I’m going a little fast,’ and then everything went black.” The doctors told him that walking might never be an option again, and the prognosis was dire. For someone who loved sports in high school, hearing this news was heartbreaking.
Mason was moved to Colorado’s Craig Hospital, a famous spinal injury rehabilitation center, after spending nine days in the intensive care unit. The next four months marked the start of his arduous and protracted recuperation process. Mason made the decision to accept what he still had instead of dwelling on what he had lost. Instead of being a sign of a handicap, his wheelchair became a source of liberation and autonomy.
Mason graduated with his class and went back to his high school in Minnesota as the homecoming king. Resolved to not allow his injury define him, he chose to attend the University of Denver, which allowed him to remain close to Craig Hospital, where he changed from being a patient to a mentor.
Mason’s life is now centered around adaptive sports. In his wheelchair, he plays tennis and basketball, swims using his upper body, and even surfs while tied to a kayak. He also just finished Grandma’s Marathon in his hometown in 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 52 seconds, utilizing a hand-powered bike to get there.
Thousands have been inspired by Mason’s path. He provides insights into his everyday life on Instagram, where he shares details about anything from getting in and out of bed to driving while using adaptive technology. His narrative redefines what’s possible rather than only being about breaking through paralysis. Mason has impacted people’s lives all across the world with his posts, showing them that even the most difficult challenges can be conquered with the correct attitude.
