CAM’s Story
“I’m not here to be average,
I’m here to be awesome”
Before
If you know Cam, you’ll know he’s all things mountains and skiing. A bluebird powder day at Treble Cone is his idea of heaven.
Living in Wānaka, near the bottom of New Zealand, Cam loves to enjoy all the fun life has to offer: skiing, mountain biking, hiking, motorbiking, swimming in the lake, and spending time with his fiancé Merryn, and their dog Mitch.
As the Mountain Sales Manager for Cardrona & Treble Cone, Cam’s love of the outdoors, skiing and New Zealand is part of his job, and he loves that he gets to share that excitement with people around the world.
We often describe Cam as emulating “golden retriever energy.” He’s the kind of guy who brings an eternal optimism, positivity and groundedness to life.
What happened
Everything changed in February 2026 when Cam had an accident while riding his motorbike to work. A misjudged corner became a life-changing moment, breaking his back at the T6 Veterbrae. Cam was instantly paralysed.
He was flown to Christchurch where he spent 4 months recovering at Burwood Spinal Unit, learning how to live in a paralysed body and adjust to using a wheelchair.
Cam is giving his recovery his all. Doing what he can to fully heal. That eternal optimism remains strong!
What next
There are only two spinal units in New Zealand, and they exist for the acute phase, the period right after an accident. Cam spent four months at Burwood Spinal Unit. Bed spaces are limited, so patients can only stay for the minimum time they need. Once discharged, access to specialist rehab ends with it.
From there, support moves into the community: a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist helping with the return to daily life. They're good at what they do, but they're not spinal cord injury specialists, and they don't have access to specialist equipment or facilities. That means working out in a local gym like anyone else.
Cam's been accepted into Making Strides on the Gold Coast, a specialist neurological and spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre. The staff have years of dedicated spinal cord injury experience, and the equipment and facilities are built specifically for it. Things Cam wouldn't have thought to try, and couldn't have done in a standard gym, are just part of a normal session there. He's been absolutely blown away at what he's been able to do there so far, and can't wait to see what a longer period will mean for him.
Cam's goal is to spend an intensive period of time working with the team as much as possible; ideally 3-5 times a week for at least 6 months.
None of it is covered by ACC. Cam needs to fund it all. Rehab fees, accommodation, travel, all of it sits outside the NZ system, which is why this website exists. It's a significant investment to attend a specialist clinic, but Cam believes in giving it all he's got.