CJ Brown: Ready for Open Water

For years, CJ Brown had a simple answer whenever someone asked him to jump in the pool: “No.”

With a family that loves to travel, summertime often means hotel pools, his kids splashing in the water, and CJ watching from the pool deck. 

“It was always a hesitation,” CJ said. “I’ve never been a very strong swimmer, even before my accident.”

But when his family booked a trip to Hawaii last year, something shifted. CJ’s mind immediately went to the water, particularly the open ocean beyond the hotel pool.

“I needed to figure out how to swim because I’d love to get in the water out there,” CJ said. “I’ve never swam in the ocean in my life.”

Learning to swim became about more than preparing for a family vacation. For CJ, it marked the beginning of a new chapter—one built around confidence, discovery, and freedom. 

To prepare for the trip, CJ turned to the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse, which he was no stranger to. 

“I just decided one day to show up to a mountain bike camp and I was so impressed,” said CJ. “Now I’ve been out to Wyoming riding, I’ve been up to Bogus, out to Tamarack.” 

“Anything that Challenged Athletes Foundation or the Fieldhouse does, it’s an opportunity to get out there and explore.”

CJ hoped that like it did with mountain biking, the Fieldhouse would again be more than a place to try something new, but a launch point that would take him beyond the training environment and into uncharted waters. 

“Now that I have been in the water, I feel that I want to just get out there and explore,” CJ said about his training. “The outdoors is something I love, and we’ll see how it is in the open water.”

That moment reflects exactly what the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse and Challenged Athletes Foundation are all about: building the pathways for people to gain the confidence and skills to move beyond training and into real-life adventure.

For CJ, the next step was Hawaii. 

“Once I was there, it was so free to be in the water,” he said. “It was so cool to experience something I haven’t experienced in 18 years.”

What started with swim lessons at the Fieldhouse turned into snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean. The quick “no” that once kept him on the pool deck was replaced by a sense of freedom. 

“Through our swim lessons and the Fieldhouse pool, I’ve built up the confidence to go out there and jump in the water immediately and have as much fun as I could.”

For CJ, one opportunity led to another. What began with mountain biking expanded into travel, coaching, swimming, and a growing confidence to keep trying new things. 

Now, CJ is paying that experience forward by coaching other CAF-Idaho athletes and helping grow the community that once welcomed him in. As Creator of First Impressions at the Fieldhouse, he’s one of the first faces you see when you walk through our doors.

“Last year I started coaching and I share my knowledge with new riders so we can build a crew out here to go ride the foothills, build connections, as well as just enjoy the sunshine.”

What started as showing up to a mountain bike camp has evolved into helping others discover what’s possible when they step outside their comfort zone. 

CJ’s advice to others is simple, but powerful:

“Don’t miss out on amazing opportunities. You only live once and you never know what you’ll find. Just live your life to the fullest and don’t let anything hold you back.”

CJ’s story is a reminder that confidence doesn’t always start with certainty. Sometimes it starts by simply showing up, saying yes, and deciding you’re ready to jump in. 

“Jump in there, go headfirst, and just live your life.”