Apr 15, 2026
Cedar Wright had a Spinal Cord Injury?!
Quinn Brett
When I was in my 20’s, just moved and starting to cut my teeth climbing rocks in Estes Park Colorado, Cedar Wright was someone I looked up to from afar. He was already a legend – the kind of bold, creative climber you aspired to be. I never imagined our paths would cross the way they did.
Image courtesy of cedarwright.com
Almost nine years ago, in October 2017, I suffered a spinal cord injury. Cedar, along with his wife Nellie, came to visit me at Craig Hospital. Nellie and I had climbed together before my injury, and that visit, that gesture of showing up, meant everything. I wasn’t entirely lost in my climbing community, or the community of folks that I spent the majority of my time with. Things were just going to be a little different.
In the adventure community, when people hear Cedar’s name, they think of climbing— big walls, bold objectives, wild shenanigans and a long, long tick list of accomplishments. What fewer people know is that Cedar has lived through a spinal cord injury himself. And more recently, Nellie has faced her own serious SCI. When she ended up at Craig — the same place that I was 9 years before — I went to see her. It felt like the only thing to do. You show up.
Cedar’s wife Nellie recovering from her SCI, while my dog, Ruby, “helps.”
During their time living in and around Craig, Cedar and Nellie were immersed in the full reality of spinal cord injury. They met people facing far harder circumstances — people without the recovery that both Cedar and Nellie have been fortunate enough to have. I know it has shaped their perspective, just like it has mine.
Cedar is one of the most gifted storytellers in the adventure world, and he has stories worth telling — yes, adventures, climbing, biking and paragliding. He also has this wild perspective from having his own injury, to watching the person he loves most navigate one, to becoming part of a community of survivors whose lives are defined by resilience, humor, and an insistence on living fully.
We are honored to have him as our speaker this year at U2FP’s Second Annual Spinal Cord Injury Gala and Auction. Come join us this Saturday, April 18, 2026 at the Bird’s Nest and hear Cedar’s unique story of SCI. It illustrates both the difficulty and potential for recovery that we’ve yet to understand about this complex injury. It will take all of us - together - to restore function for myself and so many others who live with SCI.
Join us!
PS - Our goal for this fundraiser is to raise $30,000. Even if you can't make it to Estes Park in person, you can participate in the virtual Silent Auction regardless of where you live! We have a ton of cool stuff (accessible vacation homes, jewelry, gummies, art and more) that you're gonna love. Help us hit our $30,000 goal!
