In 2009 Noah Blue Elk Hotchkiss was in a head on collision. He was 11 years old. His stepmother, Cassandra Yazzie, was killed in the accident and it left his younger sister and brother seriously injured and he was paralyzed from the waist down. Six years later Noah, with the help of Olympian Billy Mills, founded the Tribal Adaptive Organization to do outreach to Native Americans with Disabilities and provide access to sports equipment and opportunities to improve their health, success and personal sense of well-being. Noah went on to achieve many awards during his high school years winning a national title in downhill skiing and being a top recruit for Collegiate Wheelchair Basketball Programs as well as a speaker and mentor for individuals and tribes all across the country. While Noah has moved on to pursue a college degree and basketball dreams at the University of Illinois, the Tribal Adaptive Organization continues to expand and pursue its mission.
