BOZEMAN — In the snowy Bridger mountains, you’ll find Robert Enigl, a man who’s always on the move.

In his lifetime, Enigl has developed quite a lengthy resume, including participating in the2022 Beijing Paralympics, social media influencing, and outdoor recreation.

Enigl loves to fish, ski, hunt, and anything else related to the outdoors.

On his property outside of Bozeman, he runs a strawberry farm and a golden retriever dog breeding business.

Justin McKinsey, MTN News

With an already successful resume, it’s even more impressive when you learn about the accident that literally turned his life upside down.

“I remember the front flip felt like slow motion. I remember rolling three and a half, four times, and I remember on the last roll I was holding the ceiling seeing dirt, sky, dirt, sky,” he said.

About 11 years ago, Enigl and his best friend Ben were in a traumatic car accident after hunting in the Gallatin Canyon.

“They said they were getting a helicopter, and I’m like, ‘Oh good, for my buddy,’ and they said, ‘No, the helicopter is for you.’ That’s when I realized I was pretty screwed up at the time,” he said.

Robert Enigl

Enigl suffered a spinal cord injury, partially paralyzing him from the waist down.

Instead of neglecting his passion for skiing, hunting, and fishing, Enigl adapted, as painful and frustrating as it was.

“At the end of the day, you can’t look at (paralysis) as ‘My life’s over.’ You got to learn how to adapt. And I think ‘adapt’ is probably the best way to describe someone in a wheelchair,” he said.

Now, Enigl happily lives on his farm with his wife and two children. He’s still pursuing his hobbies, in part, thanks to the Cutting Fences Foundation.

The non-profit organization, founded by Kendra Lewis, helps provide adaptive equipment to hunters, ranchers, and farmers with disabilities.

Justin McKinsey, MTN News

“That $20,000 off-road hunting vehicle, I wouldn’t ever have access to it,” said Enigl.

“There aren’t many organizations that specifically target farmers and ranchers with disabilities and try to meet their needs. So that’s where it all started,” Lewis said.

Lewis started the organization during the occupational therapy doctoral capstone.

For her project, she began a 10-episode podcast that featured members of the community impacted by their disabilities. The podcast is where Lewis met Enigl.

She then turned her project into a non-profit organization a year later, eventually providing adaptive equipment for hundreds of people.

Justin McKinsey, MTN News

“It was a moment to share hope for individuals and kind of create a network of resiliency as well,” Lewis said.

“I feel like I get to do more cool stuff now than I ever got to do before I got paralyzed,” Enigl said.

Enigl was able to adapt and do many “cool” things because of the foundation, and help from a friend.

“One powerful chair, one manual chair doesn’t always do the trick for living a full and functional life,” Lewis said.