IU strength coach injured in mountain biking accident

IU Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Tom Morris was severely injured in a mountain biking accident near West Wapehani Road and Certified Technology Park on Thursday.

Morris suffered a C6 spinal cord injury but had surgery that successfully stabilized his spine the night he was hospitalized, Kathy Beaulieu, Morris’ cousin, said.

Morris is recovering at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

“He’s progressing,” Beaulieu said Sunday. “He was out of bed yesterday and today. He moved out of intensive care today and was taken off all medical machinery and medications.”

Morris has motion in his arms, shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands, Beaulieu said.

Morris has been able to eat meals using utensils on his own the past two days as well as hold a sandwich in his hands. He is also able to sit upright in his bed for a few hours a day.

It’s unclear whether or not Morris is permanently paralyzed from the waist down because doctors are still evaluating Morris’ post-surgery progress, Beaulieu said.

“At this point he’s not walking,” Beaulieu said. “But there’s no definitive diagnosis on that yet."

But Beaulieu said she is confident Morris will give the recovery process his full effort.

“He is the toughest person I know and has the best outlook on life,” Beaulieu said. “He is in great spirits and is always very positive. He has a great personality, great attitude. He will give it his all and he’ll fight it.”

Assistant Athletic Director for Broadcast Services Jeremy Gray said he became good friends with Morris while rooming with Morris during women’s basketball away trips the past two years. The news was difficult to swallow.

“It was a tough night for our family,” Gray said. “It’s devastating when you hear something like that happen to someone who’s a friend to so many and a positive influence on so many.”

But Gray was also encouraged by Morris’ progress.

“I felt a lot better when I finally got to see him,” Gray said. “He was positive, gave me a thumbs up and had a smile on his face. He’s doing well. “He’s an absolute animal when it comes to working out, a totally positive guy. He is the fittest and strongest person I’ve ever met in my entire life. If anybody is going to make a full recover, it’s Tom.”

Beaulie started a facebook page, “Tom’s Team,” to update Morris’ supporters on his status. It can be accessed by clicking here.

A post by Chris Virtue on the “Tom’s Team” page May 19 relayed a message from Morris: “I'm in the room with Tom, he wanted to post a message: I want to send out a huge thank you to all of my friends and family for your prayers and support. I love you all and promise I'll work as hard as I can to get back on my feet....LOVE TOM”.

Morris’ family is exploring options to establish a public fundraiser for him to help subsidize the expensive recovery, Beaulie said. A way to donate to the fund will be posted on the “Tom’s Team” facebook page when it becomes active, Beaulieu said.

Bloomington police Detective Sgt. John Kovach said police were told about the accident at about 3:46 p.m. Thursday when a man approached an officer saying there was an injured man nearby.

When discovered, Morris told police that he had been lying on the ground for three hours and could not feel anything from the chest down, Kovach said.

Morris was then transported to the Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital for initial treatment and later flown to Methodist Hospital , Kovach said. 

Morris told police he didn’t know what happened but thought he only went over the handlebars, Kovach said.

Morris was hired as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2010. According to Gray, Morris works directly and intensely with the men’s soccer and women’s basketball programs, and has also worked with track & field in the past.