WASHINGTON – Georgetown University football alum and 2018 Georgetown Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Janne Kouri (B'97) is on the trip of a lifetime as he travels across the country to raise awareness and funds for those living with paralysis. Kouri is riding his motorized wheelchair from Manhattan Beach, California to Washington, D.C. and is due to arrive on the Hilltop on Wednesday, May 15. He recently took time from his journey to talk with GUHoyas.com while in Brinkley, Arkansas.
 
Kouri, a star defensive end at Georgetown from 1993-96, set the program record for career sacks (31.5), a record that still stands today. In 2006, 10-years following a celebrated collegiate career that saw him named the 1996 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Kouri suffered an accident that fractured his C5 and C6 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.
 
You have been on the road for more than a month now. How has your journey gone?
It's been an adventure and I'm having the time of my life. Just having the opportunity to see the country from a unique perspective is amazing. We've met so many wonderful people and great organizations along the way, it's been more than I could have ever hoped for.
 
What made you take on this challenge? Where did the idea come from?
So a few years ago I had a group of friends ride their bikes from Denver to Los Angeles to raise money for NextStep and its wounded service member scholarship fund. We went to dinner that night and just hearing all their stories and how much fun they had. I was bummed I couldn't be on that trip so I knew I needed to do something. Before my injury I was always an adventurous and spontaneous person and, obviously after the injury things get more challenging, but I knew I had to something along those lines and I came up with the idea to go across the country. I've been thinking about it for a year and a half and finally in December we said 'let's just do it' and decided to go.
 
What is your goal, other than traveling from California to D.C.?
Getting there is the No. 1 goal. I didn't realize how much of a challenge it is. It is quite the effort just to get there safe and sound, so that is the top priority. But the overall mission of the trip is to raise awareness about the challenges that six million Americans living with paralysis face on a day-to-day basis. In all the communities we visit we are trying to educate and inspire folks to starting bringing services like NextStep to those communities so everybody has access to the rehab and fitness services they need and deserve to live a long and happy life. Another goal is to raise money to continue to expand NextStep to communities across the country. We are also giving away Quality of Life grants in several cities along the way so we are raising money for that.
 
What have been some of the highlights of the trip and what are you looking forward to most over the rest of your journey?
One highlight was Sunday when Coach (Bob) Benson rode with us from Little Rock. He was my head coach at Georgetown and he rode 74.3 miles with us from Little Rock to Brinkley, Arkansas. Also with us right now are Dennis Hermonstyne (B'98) and Keith Engert (B'98) who both also played football at Georgetown. It was a fun day of riding with them and after four years of putting us to work, it was fun to give Coach Benson a tough day.
 
Also, a mother and daughter saw our NBC story in Little Rock and they came out and waited on the road on Easter Sunday for us to come through their town. They went out and bought a bunch of cold bottles of water and stopped us on the road after seeing our story. They just sat out on the road on Easter and had no idea when we were coming by, so that was pretty special. 
 
We have done a couple of events along the way and we have met so many great people. Whether it was the restaurant owner last night who was a veteran to different folks with disabilities in random places. Each one of those instances have been some of the most inspiring moments of the trip. Just the people that we meet and seeing how we inspire them and also to learn about their stories and hopefully one day we will be able to help them out.
 
I got to go give out the game ball at tipoff of an Oklahoma City Thunder game. We rode into the stadium with the mascot, Rumble, and they had the band playing for us as we came in. That was a really great time. I also got to throw out the first pitch of the Reds-Royals spring training game in Arizona.
 
You have known Coach Sgarlata for a long time. What has your relationship with him meant to you since you were teammates on the Hilltop?
Coach Sgarlata was a teammate of mine then ended up being my coach at Georgetown. He's been both a friend and a mentor as well as a wonderful coach. We've maintained that friendship after my injury and since we started NextStep, he's been incredibly supportive of our organization since day one. Every time we do any events in D.C. or anywhere, he's been unbelievably helpful not only in supporting our organization on his own but also getting other alumni and Georgetown folks involved with our efforts in Washington D.C.,  New York and our other cities as well. He's been a tremendous help and been a huge impact on NextStep.
 
You have played a large part in Ty Williams' road to recovery. What does his recovery to date mean to you?
I got injured later in life and was able to go through more life experiences like work and travel. To see how Ty is so positive at such a young age and to see how he has taken on the challenge it really is remarkable. That inspires me and I know he is inspiring many other folks that he has touched. He just an incredible young man and I am honored to be able to call him my friend. He's such a positive young kid and to still have that amazing outlook that he has is truly remarkable. I am excited to see what he does. It's really amazing how the Georgetown football program supports not only their current players but their alumni as well. That's why the program and the school mean so much to me.
 
To keep up to date with Kouri's journey, please visit https://rideforparalysis.pelicon.com/ or follow along on social media via Instagram (@NextStepLA), Twitter (@NextStepLA) or Facebook (/NextStepOrg).