KATY, Texas — For Christoffer Cox, the gym has always been a second home.
Years of hard work and sacrifice are what earned the Katy gymnast a spot on the University of Oklahoma Men’s gymnastics team. Christoffer was scheduled to start his freshman year at OU this week.
But his whole world changed a month ago when the 18-year-old fell at a friend’s house and suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him partially paralyzed.
Now Christoffer is focusing on different goals during daily workouts at TIRR.
“Right now, my main goal is to get my hands working,” Christoffer said.
The competitive gymnast says every day is a challenge, but he’s making progress. He began moving his arms a month after the freak accident.
“An accomplishment today is I can lift my hand off my wheelchair arm, which is nice,” Christoffer said.
He says his recovery so far has been bittersweet, because it’s hard to think about what his body was capable of just a couple months ago.
“You should never stop believing in yourself. Anything is possible if you just try,” he said.
But for his parents, the medals aren’t what matter. His accomplishments at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital make them prouder than ever.
“He’s way stronger than I’ll ever be. He truly motivates me to be a better person,” said mom Denise Owen Cox.
The gymnastics community has been rallying around the Cox family and Christoffer has received video messages from gymnastics teams all over the country.
A fundraiser will be held to help the family with medical expenses at 2 p.m. Saturday at Clancy’s Public House in Richmond.
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