This content was published: March 6, 2006. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
On the road to recovery
Photos and story by James Hill
Some roads to recovery are much harder than others. For Matt Phipps, a Fitness Technology program student at Portland Community College, his road was the hardest.
In 1999, Phipps was at a party with friends and on the way home was pushed from a moving truck, covered up with leaves and left to die by those same so-called friends. He wasn’t found until a passerby happened to trip over him.
“I don’t remember any of it,” Phipps said of the highly publicized incident. “If they had not found me I wouldn’t be here today.
“Yes, I was on road to destruction and (the incident) was a blessing in disguise,” he added about his high school days. “If it wasn’t for the injury, I’d probably be some person living on Burnside, hooked on some type of drug. I’m clean now. I’m happy now.”
The 24-year-old Aloha resident is still recovering from that fateful night seven years later. He lives with an external rotation injury to his right arm, but he has moved on and is currently helping to promote the Third Annual Health and Fit Fest at Portland Community College’s Sylvania Campus.
“I’m very interested in health and fitness,” he said. “After getting out of the hospital I got really interested in fitness. As I was taking general classes at PCC toward a degree in computers, I discovered the Fitness Technology program through somebody here.”
Organized by Fitness Technology students and staff at Portland Community College, the Health and Fit Fest will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, March 15-16, at the HT Building of the Sylvania Campus, 12000 S.W. 49th Ave. It is free and open to the public.
Health and Fit Fest will feature health and workout sessions, demonstrations, fitness exhibitors, the Portland Trail Blazers Stunt Team, in-line skating, self-defense and yoga classes, health screenings, fitness assessments, massages, food, prizes and much more. Best of all there will be an interactive, 24-foot high rock wall that will give attendees an opportunity to belay and repel like a real climber.
Proceeds from the event will go to benefit scholarships for Fitness Technology through the PCC Foundation. For more information, call 503-977-4212.
“Even if you’re not really interested in fitness, this event can still be beneficial,” Phipps explained. “It is a generally fun time.”
Today, Phipps has one year left at PCC before going to a four-year university to get his bachelor and master’s degrees in physical fitness. He’d even like to get his teaching certificate so he can be an instructor and guide people to a healthier life.
“I know I’ll gain friends wherever I go, but I love these people here at PCC,” Phipps said. “My instructors and classmates make it so much easier for me to do this and enjoy the experience. The people are the best thing about this program.”
Related Pages
Sylvania Campus, Fitness Technology Program
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »