Text : Stéphanie Etienne / Image : Whitney Pratt
There are so many inspiring people in this world, but if I had to chose only one, it would be Kevin Pearce. I’m a big fan of snowboarding and this might be the first reason why KP is one of my “wings” person but there is so much more than that. Kevin is a survivor, a real one. But to understand why he is so important to me, let me draw you the story. At the age of 22, Pearce was at his summit, it was like he could win everything and he even defeated Shaun White, the unbeatable man. Everything was smiling at him but that day, the 31st of december 2009, the wheel of Fortune turned. He suffered of a severe brain injury and felt in coma for several days. That day he almost died but that was not the end. With the help of his family and supporting fans, he battled everyday to recover and do normal things he wasn’t able to do anymore (walking, talking…) but above all, he battled so hard to snowboard again. Snowboarding was his truly love and he lost it. His brain injury let him some severe difficulties and he wasn’t able to snowboard, like he used to, anymore. The accident was terrible but to let his dream go away was even worst. What could do a snowboarder than snowboarding? Kevin Pearce found the answer through his battle, he would help other people who suffered concussion like him. Not even KP battled to survive, but he also battled to help people survive. Through his love for snowboarding, he found courage to forge ahead and to find an other goal. In my sense, Kevin Pearce is a force of nature and one of the most inspiring person. He went completely down and with his will he stood up and became an even better person. Ride for Shift is a movement of positivity, love and responsibility and so is KP! Thanks Kevin for being that model.
