Brandon was diagnosed with surfer's myelopathy, which presents itself in the form of complete T-11 paralysis with no feeling or movement from the waist down. The paralysis occurred as the result of swelling around the spinal cord, which cut off blood flow to the area. The swelling occurred as the result of him standing up on his surfboard, hyperextending his back in the process.

Brandon has been active in the Boy Scouts, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, organizing troop meetings and volunteer opportunities, camping trips, and planning and fundraising for an Eagle Project to help a local church. In addition to Brandon’s passion for the Scouts, he enjoys playing the guitar where he was a member of the Melody Academy of Music. There he conducted guitar lessons and performed in recitals, challenging himself with learning the main themes of classic movies and TV shows. Active in his church, Brandon performed songs on his guitar during worship, performing guitar solos and recording music for online church services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brandon has gained some new hobbies since his diagnosis including wheelchair basketball and track and field. He is finishing up his second season for both sports and is committed to playing basketball for the University of Arizona men’s wheelchair basketball team. He has played on the BORP Jr Road Warriors for both seasons of basketball and competed for the Los Altos Track and Field Team as the first adaptive athlete in their program. He is grateful to have learned about Swim With Mike through one of his peers on his basketball team.

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