Travis competed in football, golf, baseball, wrestling and cross country in high school before moving on to college wrestling where he was ranked as high as third in the nation. A knee injury and subsequent surgery forced Travis to sit out of training and competition for part of the season. While this was very difficult it was nothing like what was to come. In the summer of 2010 Travis was in a diving accident which shattered his C5 vertebrae, injuring his spinal cord and resulting in paralysis. With a little help recovering his hard work ethic and life skills, he knew he couldn’t let this injury keep him down. He worked hard in rehabilitation and gained the ability to use a manual wheelchair and drive an automobile. He began applying his ambition through coaching and studying. He decided to focus his studies and internships toward a career in rehabilitation counseling.