In the summer of 2023, Travis was on vacation with his family and after a day of surfing, felt his legs go numb, eventually struggling to get up off the cold hotel floor.  He had been looking forward to participating in a tennis tournament shortly after returning home, and the16-year-old struggled to comprehend the diagnosis, Surfer’s Myelopathy. He said, “I never knew how much of my life would change in that moment, and how fast life could cut any and even all momentum that I had.”  

A top tennis player at Etiwanda High School, he eventually found the drive he thought he had lost and worked until his legs shook during rehab. He found his stride academically during his junior and senior years and was concurrently enrolled at Etiwanda and Chaffey Community College. As a peer counselor he helped his peers overcome obstacles just as he had, with a support system of family, friends and coaches surrounding him. Travis attended the 44^thSWM celebration with his father where he met his mentor, Mike Fritschner. His hobbies include golfing, fitness, adventure seeking and drawing.