As a story-teller, if anything that I say is to be true, then I must first be a story-doer.
Ultra-endurance cycling became a cornerstone of Aaron’s recovery, beginning with long hours on automated, electrically stimulated therapy equipment that reawakened the motion of pedaling. Through years of disciplined rehabilitation, that early therapeutic movement evolved into true athletic performance. Aaron ultimately returned to the bike, cycling across the United States three times and rising to compete for a spot on the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team—transforming recovery into world-class endurance and purpose-driven achievement.
PEDALING WITH A PURPOSE
DEATH VALLEY WALK
Born from the documentary Coming To My Senses, this gallery chronicles Aaron’s unsupported 20-mile trek across Death Valley—one of the lowest, driest, and hottest places on Earth. Each image reflects a journey that mirrors his own recovery from paralysis: relentless, unforgiving, and defined by progress made one painfully deliberate step at a time. What unfolds is not just a crossing of extreme terrain, but a powerful homage to endurance, patience, and the human will to move forward against all odds.
RIDES AGAIN
Aaron first twisted the throttle of a motorcycle at just three years old, launching a journey that led to championship racing. Nineteen years after a career-ending spinal cord injury, he twists the throttle once more—captured here in a powerful return that celebrates resilience, memory, and the enduring spirit of a racer.
STAIR CLIMBS
What began as a simple strength-building exercise evolved into a defining pursuit. Stair stepping became an integral part of Aaron’s healthy lifestyle, eventually inspiring an audacious goal: climbing the stairwells of America’s tallest skyscrapers. This gallery captures his ascent of the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles and the Willis Tower in Chicago—powerful symbols that show progress is built one step at a time.
THE HONEY BADGER
Aboard his adaptive mountain bike, fittingly named The Honey Badger, Aaron ventures far beyond the beaten path. This gallery captures him climbing and descending some of nature’s most formidable terrain.
RETURN TO SNOW
Twenty years after Aaron’s paralyzing accident, the snow-covered slopes became a reality once more. This gallery captures a full-circle return—where perseverance, adaptation, and time converge—transforming a long-held memory into motion, freedom, and renewed possibility.
RISE ABOVE TOURS
Inspired by Forrest Gump, Aaron—alongside his mother, Laquita Dian, and a steadfast band of brothers—embarked on a bold, multi-year quest to redefine what’s possible after a spinal cord injury. This gallery chronicles their odyssey pedaling across the United States of America… not once, but twice. Spanning countless miles, moments, and milestones, the images tell a sweeping saga of the power of possibility and the unbreakable resolve to keep moving forward.
2007
JUNE 10th - SEPTEMBER 28th
3,182 Miles
SAN DIEGO, CA
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL.
2008
JUNE 10th - OCTOBER 12th
4,202 Miles
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
WASHINGTON, D.C.
