Roy Tuscany: from paralysis to empowering others through High Fives Foundation

In 2006, Roy Tuscany, an aspiring professional skier, faced a life-altering accident when he overshot a 100-foot ski jump by 30 feet. The crash resulted in a fractured T12 vertebra, causing partial paralysis from his belly button down.

“It’s so rewarding to offer people the chance to participate in sports that bring them joy,” Tuscany said. “We reconnect people to sport, which in turn reconnects them with the community.”

Tuscany emphasizes the importance of a strong support system in his recovery.

“I didn’t hop on a unicorn from a unicorn farm, but I did have a support system that could pick me up when I had fallen,” he said. “Whenever I find myself participating in sports and nature, I feel free again, and the identity of who I was before my accident returns.”

High Fives Foundation, founded by Tuscany, has partnerships with organizations like Renown Hospital and Mastercraft. Tuscany, both the president and the first client of High Fives, highlights the inclusive nature of these collaborations.

“This partnership is about getting individuals back into sports in a way that feels inclusive, just as if an able-bodied person were there,” he said. The foundation also offers adaptive wakesurfing, leveraging the therapeutic powers of Lake Tahoe’s water.

On June 20, the Tahoe Waterman Foundation, in collaboration with the California Tahoe Conservancy, High Fives Foundation, and Tahoe Fund, launched an Adaptive Paddling Program in Carnelian Bay. This initiative aims to bring the therapeutic benefits of water sports to community members facing life-changing health challenges, including physical disabilities and mental health issues.

“This is something we are going to build on each year by expanding the program,” Tuscany said. “When I started the foundation, the goal was to help one person a year get through the recovery process, but now we are helping a thousand people per year.”

The program offers specialized paddle coaching and equipment, including a cutting-edge outrigger canoe designed for adaptive use. Supported by community grants, this effort aims to serve underserved youth and adults in North Lake Tahoe. For more details about this transformative program and its impact on participants like Forrest Shepherd, a first responder and program beneficiary, visit http://www.laketahoewaterman.org.

Zoe Meyer is a reporter for the Sierra Sun, a sister publication for Tahoe Daily Tribune. She can be reached at zmeyer@sierrasun.com.

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