Desiree Rosdahl always loved the outdoors, but she never expecting her passion to lead to a lifelong injury.

"I was skiing at Whiteface, and [I have] no memory of this happening, but I fell down a ravine and I played pinball off lots of trees and I broke 13 bones and I suffered a grade three diffuse axle injury, which is one of the worst TBI’s to get," Rosdahl explained.

Desiree was in a coma for ten days and underwent 13 surgeries, with her wife Anne Rosdahl by her side.

"Is she going to live," Anne said. "But one of the other things that was really important to me was is her skiing is going to be okay. Skiing was something that Des grew up doing. And so I wanted to make sure that if she wanted to ski again, she was going to be able to."

Discovering the High Fives Foundation, a non-profit assisting athletes and veterans to get back to doing what they love, Desiree is one of the hundreds of athletes aided in their recovery across the nation.

"They make you feel like your life isn't over and you can continue to do things," Desiree said. "And then they got me two bikes. They really want to make people feel like they can get back into outdoor sports, even though something bad may have happened."

The grant has allowed Desiree to progress in walking, building strength and return to skiing, being part of a team that has once helped her.

"My wife and I are both ski patrollers," Desiree said. "Ski patrol saved my life, so I wanted to join ski patrol to help change someone else's life."

Each year, Anne and Desiree raise funds to give back to the foundation which has helped them find meaning and purpose after her accident. Going into their fifth year of fundraising, the couple hosts a screening event displaying the challenges of a spinal cord injury.

"I saw the movie, and it was so powerful that I wanted to share it because, you know, I have what's called an invisible injury," Desiree said. "I want to show people that that could be your life, but that doesn't have to end your life."

Desiree and Anne hope the event, and her story, can inspire others to see the celebration of the growth that such tragedy can catalyze.

"Just because you've gone through a life-altering situation, it doesn't necessarily have to be an injury like Des," Anne said. "By surrounding yourself with people who love you and support you, you can really accomplish anything."