SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (KGTV) - Two years after an off-road vehicle crash left him a paraplegic, Charles Baker credits adaptive sports with giving him a ‘new lease on life.’
On Monday mornings, the 26-year-old Baker is usually on the move. We met him at a park in Spring Valley, where he was riding his hand cycle.
"It means everything to me," Baker said.
I first met Baker in 2023, shortly after a ride in his newly bought off-road vehicle led to a crash near Ocotillo Wells, leaving him a paraplegic. He shared this from his hospital bed.
"I'm thankful for what I have left, and how I can better myself for the future," Baker said in October 2023.
When I asked this day if he could imagine that his journey would lead him to where he is today, Baker responded with surprise.
"No, I wouldn't have believed it if I told myself this," he said.
Baker says while he was thankful to be alive, his initial recovery was filled with dark moments.
"I was a depressed, alcoholic electrician before my accident," Baker said. "Suicide has come up a few times.”
In those mental battles grappling with his new life, Baker found new support after he was introduced to the Triumph Foundation, a nonprofit that provides resources to those with spinal cord injuries and disorders.
Through them, Baker, who was a cyclist before the accident, rode straight into the world of adaptive sports, from hand cycling and adaptive mountain biking to adaptive skiing.
"A new lease on life, definitely. I don't feel like I'm disabled when I'm riding these adaptive pieces of equipment," Baker said.
Baker, now an official ambassador for the program, was named the group's Athlete of the Year at a sports festival in April.
"It was very, being seen in my disability when most wanted to disappear," Baker said.
Instead, Baker would stake his claim to his new life with plenty of support.
"The biggest thing I take away is community … People who love you unconditionally when they don't know you from Adam. It’s family," Baker said.
With the help of that family, Baker says he's thinking about competing in some sports, maybe taking up new sports, like surfing.
"In the worst moment of my life, I found where I'm supposed to be," Baker said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Baker and his family make his new home more adaptive.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
