Man paralyzed in tragic accident changes lives through his gym: "They have a purpose"

CBS Mornings
Man paralyzed in tragic accident changes lives through his gym: "They have a purpose"
cbs-mornings
A tragic accident changed Mark Raymond Jr.'s life eight years ago, but it hasn't stopped him from helping and inspiring others just like him.
Raymond described it as a normal day during the Fourth of July weekend in 2016.
"What was different was mom was not there to scream, 'Mark, don't dive off the boat,'" he said.
Raymond hit his head on the sandy bottom of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. After the terrifying moment, he said he couldn't move.
Raymond's best friend rescued him. He woke up a few weeks later from a medically induced coma after fracturing the fifth vertebrae in his neck, which left him paralyzed and no longer able to walk or fully use his hands.
Two years after his accident, Raymond started the Split Second Foundation. In 2021, he opened his gym in New Orleans. It was a decision he made not only for himself, but for others with different needs.

His hero, the friend who pulled him out of the water, suggested the name of the gym, because Raymond's life changed in a split second.