Rio was an active kid who loved skiing and started playing basketball in the 2nd grade. In high school he was varsity team captain for two years and while in college he coached JV basketball winning two Idaho State Coach of the Year awards. In 2014 he graduated from Boise State as a registered nurse and soon began working as a traveling nurse which placed him in some incredible areas for outdoor activities. On April 16, 2018, Rio was skiing at Squaw Valley in California when he hit a bump, took a fall and landed on the top of his head. During his initial 10 day hospital stay, he was diagnosed with a C 4-6 fracture resulting in incomplete quadriplegia. He was airlifted to Craig Hospital in Denver where he has been doing rehabilitation. Four months after the accident Rio was admitted to Walden University in the Nurse Practitioner program. He realized that his disability would make it difficult to practice nursing as before so he switched his emphasis to a master’s program for Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner.

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