Blog

Our Ambassadors

We’re excited to share the stories of our Triumph Ambassadors — the heart of our outreach and the heroes behind our mission.

Triumph Foundation is made up of 87 professionally trained peer mentors, whom we proudly call Ambassadors. These dedicated individuals live throughout Southern California and partner with 25 hospitals across Southern California to make personal connections with newly injured patients. They deliver Care Packs filled with educational materials about services, organizations, equipment, assistance programs, and adaptive activities that help people achieve the best possible health outcomes and maximize their quality of life.

Our Ambassadors not only provide support and hope, but also embody Triumph’s message: Life after injury is possible.

Meet Katelyn

Katelyn became a C6-7 quadriplegic from a car accident at just three years old. Growing up, she wanted to do what most kids do - to ride bikes with friends, play tennis, and go swimming. But for Katelyn, access adaptive programs that offered the same opportunities as her peers was very difficult.

For years, her connection to the broader spinal cord injury community remained distant - she attended the annual Land Meets Sea event by Casa Colina, but not much more.

That changed in 2016, when Katelyn connected with Janette Knudson, a dedicated Triumph Ambassador.

What started as a search for community quickly turned into something much bigger - a grant for driver’s training, a van so she could be more active in the community, and deep involvement with Triumph - gave her a renewed sense of possibility.

Katelyn’s Journey

Receiving a grant and a van from Triumph was life-changing, but it was the sense of family and belonging that made the greatest impact. Through Triumph, Katelyn gained more than access to vital resources - she found connection, encouragement, and a deeper understanding of both the SCI community and her own potential within it.

Today, Katelyn is an active participant in a wide range of programs, including visiting newly injured patients, running support groups, and participating in sports like handcycling, baseball, skiing, rugby, and more.

She credits Triumph with helping her, and others, see that life after injury is not only possible, but rich with opportunity, purpose, and adventure.

Her Role with Triumph

Katelyn became an Ambassador because of her love for helping others. She mentors newly injured patients in hospitals and rehab centers, volunteers in adaptive sports activities, and contributes to weekly support groups.

“I am proud and honored to call the Triumph Family, my family,” Katelyn says.

Her dedication exemplifies the spirit of Triumph: empowering people to thrive after injury while inspiring hope in others.

Katelyn recently joined our friends at Walk and Roll Live for a powerful podcast episode where she opened up even more about her journey—her challenges, discoveries, and what it truly means to live big.

Go listen to the episode.

"Life after injury is possible, and there’s so much joy to be found in community, sports, and supporting each other."

Thank you, Katelyn, for inspiring our community every day. The Triumph Family continues to grow stronger because of Ambassadors like you.