Bobby Russell is a man on the move. Whether traveling around the US, camping, skateboarding, or hunting, Bobby is always sure to fill his time with something active.
In 2007, at 27 years old, the unthinkable happened. While driving to an A/C repair job, Bobby was in a horrible car accident. His memory of the event is foggy, but he remembers being loaded into a helicopter after being ejected from his vehicle. More details emerged later from eyewitnesses and family members. Bobby had been thrown through the sunroof at a high speed and landed near some trees as his car burst into flames. He was lucky to be alive.
But the road to recovery was a long one. Bobby was completely paralyzed below his T12 vertebrae. He spent months in multiple hospitals in Mississippi attended by his mother. The doctors were not optimistic. They told Bobby’s mom he was unlikely to live through surgery and if he did, he would certainly never walk again. Despite a very long healing process, hope came when Bobby was approved for transfer to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. During his 6 week stay, Bobby defied the odds and slowly regained the ability to walk with canes.
Bobby maintained that determination after returning to Mississippi, choosing to see his new life as an adventure. Since his injury, Bobby is no longer able to work but has gone skydiving, hunting, and skiing. He has always been interested in scuba diving and is eager to add it to his list of conquests. After discovering the Dive Pirates Foundation, he quickly applied and is hoping to travel to Cayman Brac with the Dive Pirates Foundation this upcoming summer. Bobby is excited to be able to experience one of his dreams and even hopes to one day become an adaptive scuba instructor himself. Bobby will be training with Randy Wright at Diventures Dive Shop Memphis.
