In 2006 Blake broke his neck in a diving accident, fracturing his C3 and C4 vertebrae, leaving himself paralyzed from the shoulders down and initially on a ventilator. After four and a half months of inpatient physical therapy Blake walked out of the hospital with only the assistance of a cane. He has since finished his undergraduate degree at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, worked at Deloitte Consulting, Google, Tesla, and pursued his MS at the School for the Environment and Sustainability at U of M. Blake’s passion for helping others lead him to found the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation aimed at providing scholarships to individuals with a spinal cord injury seeking further education before leading a group of motivated individuals in founding and growing Thriving After SCI. Blake's mental approach to life and words of wisdom relevant to those with or without a spinal cord injury can be heard in Episode 20 on the Defy Injury podcast. Blake currently works for the large electric utility in Southern California, Southern California Edison, while residing in Pasadena, CA.