Chilliwack bike shop founder seriously injured in crash
Fundraiser established to help the community mainstay, Spencer Arnold with his recovery
Photo by:
Vedder Mountain Bike Co.
The Chilliwack, B.C. mountain bike community is rallying to support one of its core members after a serious crash this week. Spencer Arnold, one of the founders of Vedder Mountain Bike Co. and a fixture in the local community, crashed while riding on the shop’s namesake trails.
Chilliwack Search and Rescue airlifted Spencer off the mountain. He was transferred to Abbotsford, then Vancouver General Hospital. There, imaging showed the crash resulted in a break to the C6 and C7 vertebrae. A near-complete injury at C6 significantly lowers Spencer’s possibility of recovering lower body function.
Ernie Kliever, a longtime friend of Arnold and his family, started a GoFundMe campaign to help the Arnold’s navigate Spencer’s recovery and potential lifestyle changes. Anyone interested can donate through the fundraiser page. The page will also provide updates on Arnold’s recovery as well.
Kliever, who is also the past-president of the Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association and the founder of the Vedder Mountain Classic, spoke about Arnold’s place in the Chilliwack and Kelowna mountain bike communities:
“Spencer is an absolute fixture here in the mountain bike community. I think he is just one of those people that you gravitate towards, it’s kinda hard to explain. If you asked him he’d say it’s the “kavorka” (for all the Seinfeld fans out there). He’s got to be one of the most genuine, authentic, and kindest people you could know. We got to know each other through biking and have become close friends ever since. That’s my favorite part about mountain biking, I have some of the closest most amazing friends from this sport, and I think that rings true for a lot of us.”
“This news has rocked all of us, we are such a tight-knit crew, more like family than anything. I know Donna and Spencer, they are determined and I know they are going to work hard towards the road to recovery. I want to thank everyone that supported them already and has sent words of love and support. This community is strong and we are behind them on this.”
Kliever created the GoFundMe to help the Spencer family cover costs of rehabilitation. It will be used to cover travel to and from and Vancouver for treatment and rehabilitation. It will also help with any potential long-term adjustments to their home moving forward.
“The family would like to thank Chilliwack Search and Rescue and all the mountain bikers that were on the scene to assist with Spencer’s smooth extraction off the mountain. As well, all the hospital staff who have been compassionate and taken the time to answer questions and provide care for Spencer,” Kliever’s GoFundMe adds. “We are forever grateful to you, and we can’t thank you enough.”
Donate to support Spencer’s recovery through the fundraiser page.
