For Ben Herrick, a personal promise became the foundation for helping others, revealing how adversity can evolve into purpose.
At the time of his injury, Herrick's brother was a neurosurgery resident at Stanford University and helped guide him toward the best possible care. During his long road to recovery, he made a promise to himself to help those with outcomes different from his own.
“My brother was my advocate and cheerleader,” says Herrick. “I also had an incredible community of family and friends who were the net that lifted me out of bed every day. I had never experienced a community like that before.”
Herrick regained most of his functionality, except for some limited movement in his shoulders and neck. He read about Christopher Reeve's focus on science, and his brother validated the Reeve Foundation's impact on spinal cord injury research.
“In 2025, four years after my injury, I finally felt strong enough, mentally and physically, to get back to surfing,” says Herrick. “And I wanted to fulfill my promise.”
“I emailed about 50 people about the event, and within 24 hours I had raised $10,000 for the plunge,” says Herrick. “I could not believe the response. So many people wrote back to me who had no idea about my injury.”
That one act didn't just fulfill a promise; it proved how powerful a single, determined effort can be. Herrick decided to reach even further by sending messages to a larger network of friends and former coworkers.
“Many, including me, don't want to talk about an injury, but I realized that if I opened my mouth, I could make an even bigger impact,” says Herrick. “I still can't believe how many people contributed and the generosity behind my network.”
More than 100 people attended the plunge, and about 50 braved the water, raising over $38,000. Herrick's friend designed the event logo, and a local brewery, bagel store, donut shop and floating sauna company sponsored the event.
“Many people asked me, ‘Why the Reeve Foundation?' and it forced me to form the language around my injury and the benefits of the foundation's work,” says Herrick. “Talking to all these people brought me closer to the Reeve Foundation and its mission. It was a part of my recovery that I didn't know I needed.”
For Herrick, one of the hardest parts of his injury has been struggling to find others who can relate to what he is going through. He feels like he lives in a ‘weird grey area' with lingering issues and functional challenges, even though he did not end up in a wheelchair.
“Connecting and feeling like a part of something has really helped me; it has helped with the mental piece,” says Herrick. “All these people showed up to help after my accident and then showed up again to support this event. There is so much power in having a community behind you.”
Herrick is excited to keep the momentum going. He is considering making the plunge an annual event and working with the Reeve Foundation to create a coordinated national effort to host polar plunges on the same day across the country.
“This has all snowballed into something more than I could have imagined,” says Herrick. “You can say sometimes things happen for a reason, and our job is to discover the reason. I thought this event was going to close out a chapter in my life, but instead it just started a new one.”