August, 2022.
Not only would my life change forever that day, but I lost a part of me I would never get back.
I was involved in a UTV accident that resulted in the loss of my arm. It was incredibly difficult to accept and process. Almost two years later, I still find myself processing it and am overcome with emotions at times, but you can’t change the past, right?
Something I’ve always been grateful for is not long after the accident, I was ready to move on. I can cry all day long, but that’s not going to change anything.
How can I make the best of this situation?
It was actually my dad who first came up with the idea of me competing in the Paralympics. He brought it up when I was still in the hospital going through surgeries.
It gave me something to focus on, think about and keep myself busy with researching para-athletics during this difficult time.
And he was absolutely right.
I was a high jumper for Nebraska a few years back, and while I thought my track career was behind me when I graduated in 2020, life clearly had other plans.
Seeking happiness and fulfillment, I headed back to my home away from home at the track, a place that’s never failed to make me feel alive.