Roughly 11 years ago, Kirk Williams drove to Lyons, Colorado, got on his mountain bike, and started pedaling through Hall Ranch, a trail he rode three or four times a week.
By all accounts, it started off a normal day for then-22-year-old Williams, a typical outdoorsy Colorado type who spent his free time biking, camping, climbing, and skiing. But at some point during his ride, he slowed to let an uphill rider have the right of way and suddenly, at less than 10 mph, flipped over his handlebars.
Williams told Insider he had crashed plenty of times before and fallen much harder than this. In fact, there wasn't a scratch on his helmet or even any cuts that broke the skin, he said. But he landed awkwardly and broke three vertebrae in his neck, resulting in an incomplete spinal cord injury. Williams, a C6 quadriplegic, lost the use of his legs, his grip strength and dexterity in his hands, and the core strength in his stomach. He's used a wheelchair every day since.
While an accident like Williams' would deter most people from returning to the outdoors, he couldn't wait to get back. It wasn't easy but eventually, he found the key to regaining his independence and access to nature: van life.
Here's a look at his life on the road.