Racer. Survivor. Advocate. A Life of Purpose.
#351 | Kawasaki Team Green | Because I Can Foundation
My Story — In My Own Words
From the time I was a young boy, racing was my life. I lived for the thrill of competition, the challenge of pushing myself beyond my limits, and the feeling of crossing the finish line. I didn’t just want to race. I wanted to be the best.
By the time I was 15, I had become the youngest professional off-road motorcycle racer in the sport’s history. Throughout my racing career, I earned more than 200 podium finishes, including 108 first-place victories. I was a national champion, a Kawasaki Team Green rider, and had earned the opportunity to represent the United States on the prestigious International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) Junior Trophy Team.
I thought I had the world in the palm of my hands.
Then, on August 16, 2008, everything changed.
While competing in a National Hare & Hound race, I crashed at more than 80 miles per hour. I sustained a severe traumatic brain injury that left me in a coma for 24 days at Intermountain Medical Center in Utah.
My parents were told I had very little chance of survival. If I did survive, they were warned to prepare for severe, lifelong disabilities and the possibility that I would require full-time nursing care.
But my story wasn’t over.
The Race of My Life
When I woke up, I faced a challenge greater than anything I had ever experienced on a motorcycle.
I had to learn how to walk, talk, think, and navigate everyday life all over again. Things that had once come naturally were now enormous obstacles.
My racing career had taught me discipline, determination, and the importance of never giving up. Those same qualities became the foundation of my recovery.
I approached rehabilitation the only way I knew how — with the mindset of a champion.
I wasn’t willing to accept that my injury would define who I was or what I could accomplish.
Just four months after my accident, I was back on my motorcycle.
In 2009, I returned to Wendover, Nevada, to compete in and finish the same race where I had nearly lost my life the year before.
That finish line meant more to me than any championship trophy I had ever earned.
I continued racing, but something inside me had changed.
I began to understand that being a champion wasn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes, being a champion meant finding the courage to keep going when everything seemed impossible.
Finding My Purpose
Before my accident, I measured success in championships, trophies, and victories.
After my injury, I began to measure success differently.
I realized I had been given something far more valuable than another first-place finish — an opportunity to help others.
I knew how fortunate I was to have survived and made the progress I had. I also knew there were countless individuals and families facing the challenges of brain injury without the resources, support, or hope they desperately needed.
I wanted them to know they weren’t alone.
I wanted to show people that recovery is a journey, that possibilities still exist, and that life after a brain injury can have purpose and meaning.
My mission became bigger than racing.
It became about giving back.
Because I Can — 2,788 Miles of Hope
In 2011, I took on one of the greatest challenges of my life.
I rode my bicycle 2,788 miles across the United States, from my hometown of Reno, Nevada, to Vienna, Virginia, home of the Brain Injury Association of America.
I called it my “Because I Can” Ride.
Every mile represented determination, perseverance, and the possibilities that can exist after a traumatic brain injury.
I wanted to bring awareness to brain injuries, share my personal journey, and inspire people to believe that their lives were not over because of an injury.
I wanted people to stop focusing only on what someone could no longer do and start recognizing what they still could accomplish.
In 2012, I continued challenging myself by competing in Race Across the West, where our team earned second place after cycling 828 miles in just two days, from Oceanside, California, to Durango, Colorado.
For me, these weren’t just athletic accomplishments.
They were opportunities to demonstrate what determination, support, and believing in possibilities could achieve.
Turning Adversity Into Opportunity
My journey inspired me to establish the Because I Can Foundation in 2011.
My vision was to give back through education, awareness, advocacy, and hope for individuals and families affected by brain injuries.
I wanted to help change the way people viewed traumatic brain injury and recovery.
I believed recovery needed to look beyond limitations and focus on the whole person — their physical health, nutrition, rehabilitation, emotional well-being, independence, and quality of life.
My own experiences inspired me to explore a different approach to recovery, one that encouraged people to challenge expectations and continue working toward their goals.
I wanted to reach young athletes, schools, families, hospitals, and communities with a message about prevention, awareness, treatment, recovery, and the importance of never giving up.
Most importantly, I wanted people living with brain injuries to know that they mattered, that they had value, and that their journey was worth fighting for.
More Than a Champion
I used to believe my greatest accomplishments would happen on a motorcycle.
I was wrong.
The greatest race of my life began the day I survived my brain injury.
I learned that strength isn’t always measured by how fast you can go, how many races you win, or how many trophies you collect.
Sometimes strength is taking that first step when you’ve forgotten how to walk.
Sometimes it’s finding your voice again.
Sometimes it’s getting back up when the world believes you can’t.
And sometimes it’s using your own challenges to give someone else hope.
If my journey can inspire even one person to keep fighting, believe in themselves, or see possibilities where they once saw limitations, then everything I have been through has a greater purpose.
Because I Can isn’t just something I say. It’s how I choose to live.
“IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE WIN… NOW IT’S ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY.”
— Josh Morros #351
Off-Road Racing Champion | Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor | Founder of Because I Can Foundation
