The morning of Ethan Asher’s second day of his senior year, he was seriously injured when his truck rolled west of town. The Powell High School senior’s life was forever changed that late August day. 

Five years later, he is determined, hopeful and active in the community. On the same field Asher once played as a high school football player, he coaches Facing the Panthers, a game consisting of Powell’s little league and high school football players. 

He’s managed to achieve feats that may have seemed all but impossible on that 2019 day. 

Asher has been in a wheelchair since the accident, but with consistent physical therapy over the past year he has been able to take some steps, mostly on his own, in Gottsche’s heated pool.

“Right after the accident, when I got home … my prayers, and I'm sure everybody else's too, kind of helped out with that a little bit, but just kind of felt like God told me that I would walk again one day,” Asher said. "So I've always kind of known this was going to be … a part of the journey.” 

In September, Asher was the guest speaker at a fundraiser for the regional physical therapy clinic. When delivering the speech, Asher rose from his wheelchair and stood with the help of a walker — showcasing the hard work he put in alongside Gottsche staff. 

Now, Asher is focused on another part of his journey. Setting physical therapy aside temporarily, he’s taken to the classroom to work on his mind. 

Road to recovery

Asher has taken a journey to get where he is now. What started as a tragedy has developed into a remarkable recovery. 

Along the way Asher has remained involved in the community and worked hard in physical therapy. Now, he has decided to see what he is capable of while furthering his education by taking classes at Northwest College.

Asher’s return to education is a testament to his recovery. Since the accident, reviving information has been an obstacle he works hard to overcome. So, instead of a designated major, he is taking a variety of classes to assess his abilities.

“Everybody tells me, like, it's hard for anybody once you've been out of it for awhile and then try and jump back into it,” Asher said. “But I know I'm trying to give myself a little bit of grace, but not too much, because I don't want to take it too easy on myself … a lot of people don't really understand exactly when you say, ‘I have a brain injury and I struggle with memory deficiency’ … [college] has helped me figure out what my weaknesses are and what help I need.”

‘It’s easy to be confident in football’

On Oct. 11, for the third year in a row, Facing the Panthers took over the Powell High School football field on chilly October night giving the young players a taste of real competition. 

“After my accident, the whole state and this community especially, rallied behind me,” Asher said. “And everyone pitched in to help me with everything that I was needing at the time… this is just kind of my way of giving back … my way of saying thank you to the community for all that they poured out for me.” 

Football has continued to be a passion in Asher’s life. Despite scattered memories or loss of information, football continues to stick out in his mind. The sport has been a constant for Asher, a stabilization, when for half a decade all he experienced was change. 

“With so many things being new for me, being paraplegic and in a wheelchair and stuff like that, it's almost like football has been one thing that I'm able to rely on,” he said. “It’s  like, ‘OK, I know this,’ you know, and I’m able to lean on that information versus some other stuff that I'm not super confident in. It's easy to be confident in football.”

Half a decade ago, few would have guessed Asher would be where he is now. His personal progress and contribution to the community is recognized.

“I feel like God made a promise with me that I would walk again,” Asher said. “And so l've always known where we were going to end up, like the end goal, but I did not realize how many people I'd have … to help me along the way.”

(Braden Schiller contributed reporting.)