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In this powerful episode of the Up My Hockey Podcast, Jason Podollan sits down with 18‑year‑old Jackson Drum, a former CDA (Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy) player whose life changed in an instant after a devastating on-ice collision left him with a C1–C2 “Christopher Reeve” spinal cord injury.
Jackson shares his journey from being a late-start, underestimated hockey kid in Minnesota—told he’d be a “C player” forever—to outworking everyone around him. He walks us through shooting 500 pucks a day until his hands bled, waking up at 3:30 a.m. for extra ice, and grinding his way into CDA’s 17U prep program with a growth mindset and deep faith.
Then he takes us inside the night of the injury: the hit, the immediate paralysis, the eight minutes without breathing, and the string of “coincidences” that kept him alive—a highly trained nurse, a firefighter in the stands, and emergency intervention that saved his life. Jackson describes waking up intubated, unable to move or speak, communicating only with tongue clicks and an alphabet board, enduring a misplaced feeding tube, and living through excruciating pain with no effective medication.
Through it all, he talks candidly about his mental battle: praying for “the opportunity to get better,” refusing to accept doctors’ predictions, celebrating tiny wins like the first leg “flicker” and feeling returning to his left arm, and shifting his dream from playing to walking, coaching, and ultimately “changing the world” and helping others living with paralysis.
Jason and Jackson dive into themes every player and parent can learn from:
- The difference between saying you want it and actually doing the work.
- How a growth mindset and faith prepared Jackson for the hardest moment of his life.
- Setting big, long-term goals (walking, independence) and breaking them into small, daily wins.
- Gratitude and perspective when life doesn’t go to plan.
- Why you should chase your hockey dream fully—so you never live with regret, no matter what happens.
If you or someone you love needs a reminder of what courage, perspective, and persistence look like in real life, this conversation with Jackson Drum will stay with you long after it’s over.
To contribute to Jackson's dream you can support him at https://www.givesendgo.com/prayforjackson
If Jackson’s story hits you, share this episode with a teammate or parent, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. After listening, leave a review and tell us: what’s one small goal you’re committing to this week?
