Parsons to share paralysis experience

It was a snap decision on a warm August day in 1998 that changed Cory Parsons’s life forever.

A few days earlier, Parsons, a rambunctious 23-year-old adrenaline junkie at the time, rode his motorcycle from Nanaimo to Kelowna to visit family and later meet up with his girlfriend.

The pair went for a stroll along the shore of Lake Okanagan looking for a place to swim. In the distance, the roar of Thunderfest powerboats filled the air, engines straining as their drivers steered them deftly toward the finish line.

Keen to cool off – and show off – Parsons spotted what looked like a deep swimming hole and without hesitation, dove in head first.

It was the last time his legs would ever propel him. Continue Reading »