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Inspiring Stories:
Mike Cleaver
The Miracle of Inspired Wellness
As long as I can remember, I have been interested in many different sports. I was fortunate enough to have the skills and the opportunity to be involved with several, starting with little league baseball and including track and field, football, swimming, hockey and basketball. Along with these activities, came the normal wear and tear on the body; broken arms, knocked out teeth, broken collar bone and back…on and on. Surprisingly though, I played football through the first year in college and none of these injuries were the result of football.
As I grew into my 20s, I still played pick-up basketball and occasionally a game of flag football, water skiing or dirt bike riding. But in my early 30s, my passion changed to snow skiing with my family. This presented a whole new set of problems for the knees and shoulders and the occasional bump on the head.
Over the years, all of these injuries were addressed with the standard physical therapy and my own running and weight lifting programs so I was able to continue participating in the sports I love. Then came my most severe injury of all when I broke my back while snow skiing. On January 1, 2002, I had 3 lumbar vertebrae fused as a result of a burst fracture of number 4 lumbar vertebrae. I also broke 3 ribs and my right collarbone. I knew these injuries were going to present a whole new set of obstacles.
I had been introduced to Inspired Wellness 6 months prior to this accident while rehabilitating one of my lesser injuries, my right elbow. Upon returning from surgery in Colorado, Kelly put me on a program while I was still bed ridden to help me recover and be active once again.
I worked out at Inspired Wellness several days a week, which allowed me to start skiing within 12 months and playing golf within 18 months. In addition, it helped me with most of my other challenges from previous injuries. I was so impressed and interested in the Pilates program that I went through the instructor training in the Fall of 2003.
It is now 9 years later and I am currently in the middle of a ski season where I have planned 30 days of skiing out west with my kids and grandkids and I am looking forward to another summer of many rounds of golf with no restrictions. To me, personally, this has truly been a miracle and I am thankful everyday for my health and the many friends I have made at Inspired Wellness.
Oh, by the way, I will be celebrating my 68th birthday in April.
Mike Cleaver, Written 2011
