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CureCast

The podcast feeding the movement to cure paralysis
Episode 104

Still Chasin the Cheddar (Episode 104)

Guest: Jake Beckstrom & Mike Mohr

This week we are talking with Jake Beckstrom, who is U2FP’s Co-Manager of the Cure Advocacy Network along with our Wisconsin advocate Michael Mohr. It's a great conversation where we talk about the drama that took place this year with our legislative work in Wisconsin. As a refresher, this past spring we were able to pass our $3M SCI Research bill through the Wisconsin Assembly, but were unable to then pass it in the Senate. It was a nail-biter that came down to the wire, and Jake and Mike had front row seats for the dramatic, if disappointing end. But they are undeterred. And they stopped by to talk to us about how they are still chasin the cheddar in Wisconsin.

As always, please share your thoughts with us via email at curecast@u2fp.org. Thanks for listening!

 

 

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud

Bumper music: Dig a Hole by Freaque

Guest Bios

Mike Mohr has spinal cord injury (C-5 complete) due to a diving accident in high school. He has been working with Unite 2 Fight Paralysis to petition the state of Wisconsin to fund SCI research since 2018. Mike works as an Access Consultant with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s McBurney Disability Resource Center. He works with students with disabilities to ensure they have appropriate accommodations in their classes and academic programs. Prior to that, Mike was a litigator with Perkins Coie LLP for several years.

Connect with Mike Mohr here:

Jake Beckstrom is from Watertown, Minnesota. At the age of 16, Jake had a diving accident in a backyard pool and sustained a C4-6 spinal cord injury. A lifelong love of hunting, fishing, and the outdoors led him to pursue a path of environmental sustainability. He received a B.S. in Environmental Science at Southwest Minnesota State University, and in 2015, he received a law degree and master's degree in Environmental Law and Policy at Vermont Law School. Jake has been working for Unite 2 Fight Paralysis since 2018 as the Cure Advocacy Network Manager. Since 2022, Jake has been a delegate on the Executive Council of the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium and board member of the Canadian/American Spinal Research Organization. Jake loves using his experience in public policy and advocacy to work with the Cure Advocacy Network to lobby for smarter spinal cord injury research funding and find a cure for paralysis.

Connect with Jake Beckstrom here:

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