LIVE QUICKIE BLOG

Life was great. I was happy, healthy, and fit! In June of 2012 everything changed. I became paralyzed at level C5/6. I learned that I had a herniated disk that cracked. A piece broke off and lodged in my spinal cord causing an impingement. At first, I was not able to move my arms and hands. With a lot of therapy and my own fitness bands tied to my hospital bed rails, I was able to eventually get some function back.

Wheelchair basketball is one of the most well-adapted sports, and is also one of the most widespread in the world. It is estimated that there are currently wheelchair basketball leagues and competitions in 75 countries, which gives us a good idea of its degree of social integration and level of competitiveness.

For several years, I wanted to pursue a career in acting. I carried on that dream for 15 years, but after running into roadblock after roadblock, I ultimately decided on makeup artistry as a career path instead. I am so glad that I did! Sometimes when things in life happen, they can often lead to better outcomes.

Within the climate of modern gaming, disabled gamers are often overlooked by video game developers. Mechanics such as motion control and the inability to remap button configurations for controllers are merely two examples of what may limit gamers with disabilities, myself included. Games like Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! for the Nintendo Switch are no exception to this trend.

Being a wheelchair user in the cold and snow sure can make life interesting. Here are a few lessons I've learned from pushing a wheelchair through the last 13 upstate New York winters.