Rowing My Way To Paralympic Trials
On February 3rd, 2015, I was involved in a car accident that turned my life upside down in a matter of seconds. Between eight broken ribs, a broken shoulder, and two major fractures to my spine, there was no denying the devastating impact of my injuries. After two, 12-hour surgeries to fuse and stabilize my spine, I was presented with the bleak prognosis of potentially never being able to walk again. The months following were filled with intensive in-patient rehabilitation along with by far some of the most trying days I have experienced this far in my 22 years. Looking back, it's hard to believe there were days when I could hardly tolerate sitting up in bed for more than 5 minutes at a time. I didn't know it then, but this experience would end up teaching me what it means to truly persevere, especially beyond what you think you're capable of accomplishing. After about six months and countless hours of physical therapy paired with an unfathomable amount of grit, I proved my doctors wrong and took my first steps. Each day since then, I work a little bit harder than the last, all in attempts to getting me a little closer to achieving my goal of making a full recovery.
The physical loss that comes with a spinal cord injury is a reality that you can never really be prepared for, but because of it, it's made me into a much more appreciative person. The simple things in life that I once unknowingly took for granted are all things I now realize I'm having to live without. One aspect that was exceptionally hard for me to adjust to, was the challenge of being able to pursue my idea of an active lifestyle. Having always been very athletic throughout my life, the loss of a competitive environment was something that I greatly missed and longed for. Fortunately, I've been able to fill that void with my new found passion for adaptive rowing. Prior to being injured, I had no rowing experience, but it didn't take more than one session for me to fall in love with the sport. Since day one when I took my first "strokes" with Sportable, I've been lucky enough to have the help and support of my coach, Tim Nesselrodt, who has been dedicating his time to training me to be the very best rower possible. Thanks to his tireless efforts, I was recently given the incredible opportunity to represent his organization, Richmond Community Rowing, in partnership with Sportable, by competing in a National Selection Regatta in Worcester, Massachusetts, which was a tremendous honor. Unbelievably enough, I was also invited to compete in the Paralympic Rowing Trials in August of this year. The chance to potentially represent the US in the 2020 Paralympic Games is a surreal experience and I'm overwhelmed with excitement to be in a position to pursue this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I know the road ahead will require countless hours of hard work, determination, and commitment, along with the expense of equipment, travel, and training opportunities to help in preparing me for this level of competition. With that said, I humbly and graciously ask you for any support that you can give to help make this possible. I can't thank you enough! Let's go to trials!
