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Hello friends! Whether I see you at the gym every day or we just met at a Spartan Race, I am glad you’re here. I’d like to tell you what’s going on with Quinn and the Big Tree Fitness Deep Roots Initiative.
— Coach Michael
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In This NewsletterA Note from Quinn About the Deep Roots Initiative Spartan Support - Free Spartan Race Codes Where We’ve Been — Cleveland and Cincinnati Spartan Races What We’ve Learned Where We’re Growing Big Tree Fitness Charity Events Upcoming Events Michael’s Thoughts & Ideas
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A Note from QuinnAt the end of February I was in a terrible car accident and ended up in the hospital for several months. After many surgeries, I found out that I was going to lose the lower portion of my leg. Our Deep Roots Initiative started when my friends and I decided we wanted to keep my big toe as a memento. We wanted to take the bones out and turn them into a necklace. After all, we are eighteen year old dudes. For my friends this was something cool and outrageous. For me it was much more. I didn’t want to see my leg just thrown away as if it never existed. I wanted and needed something to remember. We tried to convince my mom for hours, but no dice. Mom was having none of it. That is when my dad did some research and found out about limb cremation. When my dad explained everything to me, I immediately said YES. Not only was I getting my memento, but I was getting all of my leg back. Now, ALL of me is still with me. And, oh yeah, I’ve worked my ass off over the past six weeks in order to achieve my goal of walking across the stage at my graduation. I did it! Here’s a video of my progress.
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The Big Tree Fitness Deep Roots InitiativeHelping young people navigate amputation with dignity, ceremony, and community. ADVOCACY: We provide information and support for young people facing amputation. TRANSITION GRANTS: We offer micro-grants for cremation and memorialization of lost limbs. NEW GROWTH FUND: In the future, we hope to provide funds to help amputees return to an active lifestyle through adaptive gear and movement therapies
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Spartan SupportBig Tree Fitness has had a great relationship with Spartan for years. Every year our gym members get together and do the Burpees for Vets Challenge, and each year we do a record-breaking number of burpees and collect thousands of dollars for veterans. Spartan generously sends us race passes as a thank you for our hard work. When the team at Spartan, including Joe De Sena, heard about Quinn and the Deep Roots Initiative, they immediately wanted to help. They offered to team up with Big Tree and gave us a bunch of Spartan Race codes and a spot among their sponsors at the Cleveland and Cincinnati races. Some of these race codes are still available. If you would like to make a donation of $100 or more, we’ll send you a code for any 2026 Spartan Race. The race is free (except for the processing fees). Thanks to Spartan, this is a great deal for you and for the Deep Roots Initiative!
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We had a great time at the Cleveland (really Windham) and Cincinnati (really Lawrenceburg, Indiana) Spartan Races! We cannot thank the Joe De Sena, Dan McDonald, Sammy Lassman, Myles Henry, Grady Short, and the rest of the team at Spartan enough for the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and share our mission of supporting young people going through limb amputation.
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Although our amazing journey with Spartan Race has come to an end for this year’s race season, we look forward to teaming up with Spartan again in 2027 for the Cleveland Spartan Halloween Trifecta Weekend October 30th and 31st.
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What We’ve Learned People are kind and resilient! Most families don’t know that limb cremation is an option until it’s too late. Even some doctors don’t know that cremating and memorializing a limb after amputation is an option. When you surround yourself with an amazing community, great things happen!
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Where We’re GrowingThanks to our two board members, Michael Klein and John Daily, we are now starting to get our message and mission into the hands of the right people in some of our local hospitals. There is still a lot of work to do in this area, but we are moving forward in a great direction. As the Board of Trustees continues to make connections with partners in order to reach and help young people, Quinn continues to work on his rehab and physical therapy, and is making great progress! Follow Big Tree Fitness on Instagram to check it out.
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Big Tree Fitness Charity EventsAt Big Tree Fitness we host three major community building, charity events each year — The Winter, Summer and Fall Challenges. Each challenge is different, but all are held within the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Anyone and everyone is welcome to participate. Donations from these events for the past four years have gone to worthy local charities. This year, all proceeds will be going to the Big Tree Fitness Deep Roots Initiative to support young people and their families managing the amputation of a limb. Our Winter Challenge, held at the end of February, is a small event patterned after the Spartan Hurricane Heat. The Summer Challenge, held at the end of July, is a sunset to sunrise hike. This is a chill, 12-hour night hike. The Fall Challenge, held in the mid October, is a competitive two person team ruck race (no running allowed). This one is about working as a team and being efficient.
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Upcoming EventsOur Big Tree Fitness Summer Challenge (Sunset to Sunrise Hike) is right around the corner. It will begin on Saturday, July 25th at 6:00 PM at the Virginia Kendall Ledges parking lot in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This challenge is about slowing down and connecting with people and nature. There will be two options. The shorter hike is for those who just want to hike with the group to watch the sunset and return to the parking lot. The longer hike will go through the night and end after we watch the sunrise at the top of the Virginia Kendall Hill. This will be a chill, 12-hour night hike. There will be some challenges thrown in, but all of them are meant for fun and enjoyment. More details and sign up to come with in the next couple weeks. This race is completely donation based. Meaning all proceeds goes to Big Tree Fitness Deep Roots Initiative.
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Michael’s Thoughts & IdeasHi Everyone, The Monday after our last Spartan race marked 112 days since Quinn’s accident. I spent that day writing down all of the different experiences, feelings, and emotions I’ve had since the accident. I would like to share a few of them with you. I felt a connection so deep inside my soul, a place I never knew existed, which now shines with so much light into those depths. I saw and felt a strength that was not mine that made me cry to feel more of it. I saw caring and unconditional love that made me wish I was that good of a human being. I felt a helplessness that I never want to feel again. I saw and felt generosity that humbles me to the bone. I was given the opportunity to take on some of my most meaningful and beautiful challenges ever. I felt lost at times, each and every day. I now feel a greater depth of gratitude after achieving a goal. Today, my emotions seem to reach a deeper spot within my being. I can’t put into words where this depth is exactly felt, but I know it is a depth that brings greater meaning to my life.
Thanks for reading, and as always your thoughts and comments are always welcome. — Coach Michael
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