brian lee | founder

Heading into my senior year of high school, I was on several recruiters’ short-lists to play football at the college level.  I was a running back starting on the Varsity team, the perfect size and height to play at the next level.

During a summer two-a-day practice, I experienced an ankle injury and bone spurring that limited my mobility and essentially squashed my chances of playing college football.

Since I was a two-sport athlete, I turned my attention to baseball in the spring semester, thinking I had a road to college with that sport.

At age 46, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer – her illness weighed heavily on mind in the months leading up to graduation.  Although I ended up attending college out-of-state, frequent returns home on weekends and holidays prevented me from staying committed to being a walk-on to my university’s baseball team.

I remember feeling isolated in my decision-making during these transitions.  Looking back, I wish I had someone with whom I could have shared my thoughts and ideas and known he or she would relate, having experienced similar circumstances.

This is the premise that The REACH Initiative has been founded upon.