SCI Superstar: Shaun Doss

Whether he is at the skate park, on the court or out on the ice rink, Shaun Doss is at home. Injured before he was 5 years old, this little dude has big plans to become the next big thing in wheelchair sports, and he’s already got a rockin’ head start.

And don’t let him fool ya – he would still love to walk again too – with him family trying to raise funds for stem cell treatments in Costa Rica a couple of years ago. A fighter, a natural athlete and a name to remember, this is the fearless story of Shaun Dos..

Why He’s Fearless

For Shaun, the moment his entire life changed was when he was a passenger in his parents’ Dodge Durango when he was just four years old; an accident that happened nearly 8 years ago. An oncoming car ran a red light and t-boned the car Shaun was in.

He was sitting in the third row of the vehicle, and because the impact was so bad the seat belt buckled, causing Shaun’s torso to fold in half and causing a T4 injury. Shaun’s family initially bought a lawsuit to Chrysler, hoping they would pay for Shaun’s long-term medical expenses. Unfortunately however, Chrysler was able to find a loophole out of being sued.

As Shawn grew up, he fell in love with adapted sports – wheelchair basketball, sled-hockey and his latest discovery, WCMX. Shawn plays for the Grand Rapids Sled wings, an adapted a hockey league, and he plays for the Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers, a wheelchair basketball team. Shaun also travels often throughout the year because of sports, and sharing his travels with the world via Twitter.

WCMX however, wheelchair skateboarding, is by far Shaun’s most favorite sport.  Jumping his chair and dropping into half pipes are sensations Shaun’s never felt before, therefore feeding his passion for this growing sport. He frequently skates with WCMX phenom Aaron Fortheringham and has been taking part in WCMX competitions throughout the last couple of years.

What’s Next?

And Box Wheelchairs, a forward-thinking wheelchair manufacturer that specializes in WCMX wheelchairs, has taken Shaun in as one of their ambassadors and added him to “Team Box.” He is busy performing with Box Wheelchairs and has garnered several sponsors a long way as well, including Spinergy wheelchair wheels.

And Shaun is also interested in walking again. In 2011, his family raised enough money to bring Shaun to Costa Rica for stem cell treatments; a $20,000 chunk of change most couldn’t afford on their own. He saw a significant increase in sensation because of this treatment.

UPDATE 2021: Shaun will be playing wheelchair basketball for the University of Michigan this Fall. 

– Follow him on IG