Angela – What role has adaptive sports played in your life?

I had been a huge athlete my entire life. Sport was my life, I had a reputation, it was a part of my identity, all my friends played sports. So, I think that’s why after this injury I was really scared about what life was going to be like if I wouldn’t play sports again. My favorite sport that I was introduced to was wheelchair ice hockey at the Pettit Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, through Independence First. And, that was such a powerful and empowering experience for me because that was the first time when I started playing ice hockey that I felt like an athlete again. I was also a big downhill skier before my spinal cord injury. I did try adaptive skiing, unfortunately, I had a hard time with the cold, being out on the ski slopes, and for me, because of the assistance you need, it kind of lost its appeal for me. I did play ice hockey for three or four years. I also really enjoy adaptive water skiing. Something that I experienced after spinal cord injury was re-identifying myself and finding new activities.