No More Wheelchairs

Daryl fell in love with running in the 7th grade and became a successful track and cross country athelete. He was a state finalist in the 1600 and went on to compete at Calvin College in both sports. He was also an accomplished triathlete and mountaineer, having climbed half of the 56 Colorado Peaks over 14,000 feet.

On November 24, 2004 Daryl was traveling home from Michigan to Colorado for Thanksgiving when a deer jumped in front of his friend's car. The driver swerved and the car rolled over, throwing Daryl out of the back window. His jaw was broken through in two places, several ribs were broken and he suffered a collapsed lung and severe internal bleeding. His T-8 vertebra was crushed and the spinal cord was damaged.

Four months were spent in Craig Hospital before Daryl could move on with his life. Daryl returned to Calvin College the following fall and finished his bachelor's degree in Greek, Religion and Archaeology. He turned his competitive and athletic nature toward the sport of handcycling. After working as a substitute teacher, he discovered his love for teaching and is currently back in school completing his teaching degree.