Veteran Participant Profile : Brenden Doyle
Retired Army sergeant riding with Adaptive toward possible Paralympian future .
By Matt Lloyd
Life has changed dramatically for Brenden Doyle the past two years , but he ’ s still jumping out of airplanes .
The self-described “ sickness ” for chasing adventures started when he was a kid .
Pulling tricks on a skateboard . Leaping off cliffs or bridges into water . Riding a sport bike . If it involves adrenaline , the 30-year-old retired U . S . Army sergeant wants in on the action .
So within a year of breaking his back in a recreational skydiving accident in El Paso , Texas , on Jan . 5 , 2020 , Brenden was again soaring through the sky with a parachute strapped on .
“ I always tease him , ‘ I would not expect anything less from you ,’ ” says Jasmine , his wife of 10 years .
As great as it was , that first jump after the accident -- following surgery after breaking his T-10 vertebrae and months of rehab and training -- wasn ’ t easy . It ended with a tough landing and dislocated shoulder .
But Brenden , a licensed skydiver who has made hundreds of jumps , didn ’ t stay still for long . While rehabbing his shoulder , he got introduced to adaptive-athlete organizations like Project Airtime ( which uses a cart for skydivers who ’ ve lost the use of their legs to land their jumps safely ) and Central California Adaptive Sports Center , the Shaver Lake-based non-profit organization that runs summer and winter programs for athletes from all backgrounds .
Adaptive -- which has had a strong relationship with the veteran community since its inception in 2014 -- was the perfect fit for Brenden . He says the outstanding staff headed by Executive Director Randy Coffman was receptive to his needs , plus it ’ s located a quick drive from his home in Clovis where he and Jasmine are raising sons Brady , 7 , and Bryce , 2 .
It was through Adaptive that Brenden in the winter of 2021-22 found one of his latest and greatest pursuits : the mono-ski .
“ We had driven up to Shaver and saw the big office and sign with the mono skier . I gave them a call and it was actually Randy who answered . He got me and my wife into a program within a week , and it all started from there .”
Brenden grew up in Porterville in nearby Tulare County and had been snowboarding at China Peak Mountain Resort , where Adaptive hosts its winter programs . He anticipated his first program on the mono-ski like any other adventure he had faced .
“ I was full of excitement and ready to charge , thinking : ‘ I got it . It ’ s going to be easy for me .’ Then getting on , it was like a big reality check ,” he says . “ It was super hard and different than anything I ’ d done .”
It didn ’ t take long , however , before he and his team of mono-ski instructors were off , and Brenden was riding solo . Randy reports
Brenden was taking on intermediate runs by the end of his first day . From there , his progression on the mono-ski hasn ’ t stopped .
Brenden plans to put in 150 days this winter ( let ’ s get those snow dances started !), skiing with Adaptive at China Peak and also potentially making trips to other resorts . “ I ’ ve never had the opportunity to do something I truly love full-time ,” he says .
His goal is to continue following his passion and become a Paralympian . He ’ s aiming for a spot next winter at the U . S . Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs .
“ He has been the fastest learner on a mono-ski that I have ever instructed ,” Randy says . “ He intends to be a future Paralympian and I believe that he has what it takes -- his pace for learning to ride the ski has been remarkable .”
Brenden credits Randy and his team of instructors , who tailored their coaching to meet his progression . Meeting other athletes who ’ ve been in accidents and also members of the adaptive sports community has been a motivation to keep challenging himself . That includes discovering other new extreme endeavors like paragliding . “ That ’ s been my baby this summer ,” he says , with a sly levity in his voice .
Those relationships within the community helped when he injured his back and later when he hurt his shoulder , and he ’ d like to reciprocate that in the future .
“ I ’ d love to find a way to give back to the adaptive community , be a figure who has the ability to reach those who are newly injured and show them that life isn ’ t over ,” he says .
“ You can still do rad things , and be the person you always knew you were .”
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