Courtesy the Traveller family

Conquering Mount Timpanogos is a challenge that even experienced recreationists can be reluctant to take on, but 19-year-old wheelchair-bound Emily Traveller is up for the trek.

During a trip to Little Sahara sand dunes with some friends in April 2022, Traveller was severely injured when the ATV they were in crashed and rolled. Doctors told her parents that she had broken her neck due to the collision and classified Emily as quadriplegic.

Initially, her diagnosis suggested that she wouldn’t be able to move anything below her neck ever again.

But over the past two years, Emily has made significant strides. Just a few months after the accident, she regained movement in her arms and eventually some upper-body function.

The Traveller family moved to Colorado for a short time so Emily could receive treatment at a physical therapy clinic that specializes in spinal cord injuries. After a few months away, they returned to Utah where she continued rehabilitation at an outpatient center in Sandy.

Courtesy the Traveller family

It’s been a journey filled with moments of trials and triumphs.

“I feel like at the beginning and like the first year was definitely the hardest because it’s like a lot of firsts and a lot of different things,” Traveller explained.

Prior to the life-changing incident, Traveller was anything but sedentary.

She was a cheerleader at American Fork High School and participated in various school athletic programs.

Going from being active in sports and recreation to being bed-ridden was physically and emotionally challenging.

Courtesy the Traveller family

“I think one of the hardest things was like, I went to a football game when I got home. And just like not being able to do anything and watching all my friends still cheer … because for a minute, I kind of just thought that everybody’s world stopped too, but it was just me,” Traveller described.

Yet, she persisted at slowly relearning the things she loves, like biking, skiing and other activities. “Kind of just pushed myself really hard to get to where I’m at. And obviously I’m not full functioning, but I feel like I’m doing pretty good for what my injury level was,” she said.

Traveller is now ready to tackle another feat: hiking Mount Timpanogos.

While summiting the popular mountain adds another notch in Emily’s recovery process, she’s also providing hope for others with similar injuries.

“Because a lot of kids, particularly young, you know … teenagers, preteens get hurt, and then they just kind of stop living and it’s just heartbreaking for us,” said Emily’s mother, Kari Traveller, who came up with the idea to climb the local mountain.

Courtesy the Traveller family

That’s why the 19-year-old is now advocating for adaptive sports.

“Emily goes and visits kiddos in the hospital a lot. And we just try to encourage them that you can still get out, you can still do things. But most of these kids don’t know how or what (to do),” Kari Traveller said. “And so (Mount) Timp is big, and we’re going to do our best to hike it. But more than anything, we’re trying to drum up awareness so that these kids can know they can do things to get out there.”

At just under 11,800 feet, Mount Timpanogos stands at Utah’s second-highest peak along the Wasatch mountain range.

On Sept. 14, Emily Traveller will be hiking approximately 14.2 miles and 4,471 feet of elevation gain using a mobile cart from Huckleberry Hiking. The tool is on backorder until later this year, but the inventor who is local to Utah agreed to let the Travellers use his personal device.

She’ll complete the journey with the help of her therapist, family and friends, who will assist with tugging the device up the summit, while another provides a boost from behind. The challenge will take between eight to 12 hours to complete, stopping for breaks along the way every few hours.

Courtesy the Traveller family

“We also have (Mount) Timp’s search and rescue. They’re going to be tracking us and we’re trying to be safe and smart about it. But it is definitely a push for Em. She’s not going to be actually hiking, but she’s going to have to be tough,” Kari Traveller noted.

Emily Traveller’s ambitious spirit has led to involvement with Wasatch Adaptive Sports. Last summer, she participated in the 2023 summit challenge in Park City, tackling the trails with the assistance of an arm cycling bike.

After realizing how useful the device is, she now wants one of her own, but it costs upward of $17,000. A family friend has organized the “Mount Timp with Emily Fundraiser,” a GoFundMe account to help raise money for the bike and other adaptive equipment, and ultimately help Traveller become more independent.

“I want to try one, and it’s like a way for me to exercise too,” she said.

Aside from the outdoors, Traveller has already met one major milestone amid her challenges: finishing high school. She recently graduated in May and is planning to work with a fashion designer making adaptive clothes for people with disabilities.

She’s also learning how to drive and thinking about what’s next in her education.

Through Emily’s strength and resilience, she hopes to inspire people to never give up, despite the obstacles life throws at them.

“She was a competitive gymnast, she was a cheerleader, and then she did a 180. But now she’s designing and speaking. And just being all in with the circumstance that you’re in has taught me a lot as her mom,” Kari Traveller said.

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