Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

The Amazing Teen Who Went From Hospital Bed To Marathon Finish Line

Mason Branstrator was an experienced skier, runner, and soccer player when a skiing accident at age 17 left him paralyzed from the waist down after breaking his T-12 vertebra. After spending nine days in the ICU and four months at Craig Hospital in Colorado for rehabilitation, Mason discovered a new perspective on his situation when he got his first wheelchair. As he explains, “The first time I got in a wheelchair in rehab, I felt so free,” realizing that his wheelchair wasn’t a limitation but actually represented freedom and independence.

Mason returned home to Minnesota where he became homecoming king, then enrolled at the University of Denver near Craig Hospital, where he now serves as a mentor rather than a patient. He embraced adaptive sports including tennis, basketball, swimming, and surfing, and began training for marathons using hand-powered bikes and stationary equipment. Last month, he completed Grandma’s Marathon in his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, finishing the wheelchair race in an impressive 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 52 seconds. Through his Instagram account, which now has nearly 270,000 followers, Mason shares his daily experiences to inspire others with disabilities, proving that his childhood dream of helping people came true in the most unexpected way.

PrevPreviousThese Wave-Riding Canines Just Stole The Show
NextSocial Media Attention Leads To Incredible Community Renovation ProjectNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

This Award Show Is Finally Returning Soon

February 7, 2026

Billboard Women in Music is returning in 2026 to celebrate another year of women’s excellence in the music industry, with the annual awards show taking place at The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles to recognize the bold vision, global influence and artistic excellence of women transforming music across all genres.

Read More
Happy News

McDonald’s Brings Back Most Requested Happy Meal Toy

February 7, 2026

McDonald’s announced it is bringing back the Changeables Happy Meal featuring nostalgic toys originally launched in 1987 that transform from McDonald’s menu items like French fries into robots and dinosaurs, marking the return of what the company calls “the most requested” Happy Meal toy from the past. The Changeables officially

Read More
Happy News

Fourth Graders Get Music Lesson From Rihanna’s Husband

February 7, 2026

A$AP Rocky headed back to a Harlem elementary school to teach kids a thing or two about rap for the Wednesday episode of Celebrity Substitute, where Mr. Mayers’ class was in session and fourth graders got a crash course in hip hop from one of the neighborhood’s most famous success

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.