Success Story: Ben Quinn

Ben was just 21 when he took his first dive out of an airplane. It was an amazing feeling, and from there on, he never looked back.

Ben’s love for extreme sports began when he was 18. His friends introduced him to snowboarding, surfing, and dirt bikes. But Ben loved skydiving most of all. When he had 25 jumps, he was able to get his license. But only three jumps later, with a parachute, a helmet, and another skydiver on board, Ben stepped out onto the platform at 14,000 feet. What he didn’t realize was that his life was about to change forever.

The accident that followed cost Ben’s friend his life, and Ben was flown by helicopter to the hospital. His leg was badly damaged, and he spent nearly three months in the hospital battling an infection. After 15 operations, doctors were forced to amputate his leg below the knee.

Prayer and devotion to Jesus brought Ben through his tragedy and taught him not to give up. In 2007, he competed in the 2nd annual Extremity Games in Florida. More than 150 athletes competed in eight sports in Orlando. While training for the competition, Ben hurt a tendon in his knee and wasn’t sure if he would be able to compete. Fortunately, his injury healed quickly, and he won 1st place in the recreational wakeboarding category.

Ben says he feels like he’s been given a second chance in life and needs to live it up. He works in Bellingham at an urn distribution company. He volunteers with Young Life, an International Christian organization, and is involved in his church. He has taken groups of teens snowboarding on Mount Baker. He also continues to skydive about once a week, racking up over 100 jumps so far.