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Mike Utley: A True Mobility Hero

It is said that the character of a man can be judged not by how he handles the good times, but by how he handles the bad times. Using this test, Michael Utley is a giant among men, who has continued to fight not only for himself, but for others.

When Michael Utley was young he always enjoyed athletics. Born in Seattle in the mid sixties, by the time Utley was a senior at John F. Kennedy High school, he was the captain of both the football team and the basketball team. In 1984, after graduation, he received a football scholarship to Washington State University to play for the Cougars. In his last year Utley helped the Cougars to have their best year in sixty years.

Promptly after graduating from Washington State University, Utley was drafted as a third round pick to the Detroit Lions and his NFL career began. After starting every game of the season, Utley injured himself in the 5th game against the Minnesota Vikings. He spent the rest of the season recuperating. The next season, after a rocky start, he again injured himself during the sixth game.

During his third season playing for the NFL, Mike Utley would receive an injury that would change his life. As he was battling the Los Angeles Rams in 1991, Utley injured his spinal cord and was subsequently left paralyzed. Despite being seriously injured, Utley flashed the crowd a thumbs up sign. The thumbs up sign would become the symbol of the Mike Utley foundation, which was founded in 1991.

From childhood Michael Utley has always been a fighter and rather than give up after his injury, he chose to keep on fighting. He has remained very active and while he might not be as big as he once was, he is still incredibly athletic. Utley has been a leading funder of research into paralysis and has also donated a large amount of money to help others who are paralyzed.

Recently, the Mike Utley Foundation helped to build a special park designed to provide a safe place for people to learn how to use their wheelchair. This park is located at Craig Hospital and is filled with the types of obstacles that can be hard for someone in a wheelchair to navigate. This includes speed bumps, stairs, doorways, and many other obstacles. His foundation donated over $100,000 towards the building of this park.

Craig Hospital is located in Denver and specializes in treating spinal cord injuries. Utley is a former patient at Craig Hospital and wanted to help others who also use wheelchairs. The Mike Utley Foundation has been a driving force behind spinal cord research and Utley is a great philanthropist, who is determined to find a cure for paralysis.

To learn more about the Mike Utley Foundation check out their web site.

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