Thomas Edward Smith, the proud Co-Founder of The Thomas E. Smith Fight to Cure Paralysis Foundation, is also the director and official public speaker of the 1st Round Foundation. Since joining the 1st Round family in August 2010, Tom and the 1st Round team created The Dance For Paralysis Foundation, a perfect “cause foundation” to fit the 1st Round lifestyle brand. Tom’s goals are to help fund paralysis research that will one day lift individuals with paralysis out of wheelchairs and onto the dance floor.
While attending The Pingree School in Massachusetts, Tom excelled in hockey and was a highly recruited player for some of the most prestigious collegiate hockey programs in America. On August 2, 2008, Tom was skating in a summer hockey tournament and sustained a spinal cord injury that many thought would end his hockey career. Through Tom's diligence and commitment, he miraculously recovered and returned to the ice. 14 months after returning to the ice, Smith suffered a second unrelated spinal-cord injury. Doctor’s worldwide have told Smith and his family that the odds of have two unrelated spinal-cord injuries are incalculable. His second injury left him paralyzed from the waist down. Just days after his second accident, Tom and close friend Tucker Mullin founded The Thomas E. Smith Fight to Cure Paralysis Foundation from his hospital bed. Their foundation worked closely with the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins Foundation during their 2010-2011 season.
Tom rehabs six days a week at 5:30am, and is currently on his road to recovery while enrolled in the prestigious Entrepreneurship program at Babson College; a program ranked #1 for Entrepreneurship by U.S. News & Report for 15 consecutive years. Salem News voted Tom top 100 most influential people of New England’s north shore. Smith is in the process of authoring his autobiography titled, “Skating With Angel Wings,” that will document his incredible story.
Tom’s ultimate goal is to open a paralysis research and recovery center. He is currently on a nationwide speaking tour talking about his story, as well as the medical breakthroughs involving paralysis. Tom and his foundation members strongly believe that by working together, all will be “Stepping Forward Together” in finding a cure for paralysis.
