Liam Wagner has been and always will be an athlete.

When a motorcycle crash put him in a wheelchair four years ago, he struggled to cope at first, until he found a new passion: skiing.

“That’s really when my life post-injury turned around,” Wagner said.

Adaptive sports equipment like Wagner’s monoski can cost thousands of dollars. Liam’s purchase was made possible, though, thanks to a grant from the Kelly Brush Foundation.

The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the foundation’s annual fundraiser, so Wagner decided to make his own.

 

When making his newest goal, there was no backing down.

“Let’s push it to the limit,” Wagner said. "I just got these crutches; let’s see if I can go a mile.”

After not walking a foot for nearly half a decade, Liam gave himself about two months to work his way up to 5,280. A mile in a few months: No big deal, right?

“I walked a quarter-mile and my hands started cramping up," Liam said, remembering his first time walking the rail trail in Vestal. "I’m like ‘oh, I may have run my mouth off a little too quick on this one.’ ”

Wagner doesn't walk alone. His girlfriend Emily walks behind him, pushing his empty wheelchair in case he needs to stop.

"It was difficult at first, because he was just getting used to it,” she said, “but honestly, I don’t need to be behind him anymore.”

 

Anyone who knows Wagner knows nothing can stop him.

“I don’t care if it takes me an hour and a half, two hours, three hours, the whole day," Wagner says. "I’m gonna walk that mile. We’re going to make it happen.”

On September 12, Wagner will be live streaming his mile walk on his Facebook page.

You can also help and follow Liam's journey by visiting his online store, donating to the Kelly Brush Foundation, or checking out his Instagram page.