I have a goal for myself

When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be like my sisters: able to get up and walk. I have a goal in my mind that one day, I’ll be able to get out of my wheelchair and do just that. At age 35 (in two years), I want to go out to a movie all by myself so my friends won’t have to take my wheelchair. It’ll be easier to go out with everybody because they won’t have to worry about making room for my chair in the car. And at age 40, I’m hoping I won’t have to be in my wheelchair anymore. I’ll keep working on my leg strength so that I can do that; I am working out two times a week on the bike for an hour each time, and I want to try the treadmill and move my legs like a normal person. I want to get more muscle in my upper body too, so I’ll have to do some weights. Also, I want to get back in the water like I was in Hawaii, and get into Special Olympics.

I see a lot of people on TV who are getting into accidents, needing wheelchairs, and they think that their life is over because they can’t walk anymore. But if they work hard enough, they can get back their mobility and their life. I know that I have a good life with my family and friends, but I want to do more with myself.