Living life to the fullest!

 At 45, I’m proud of the incredible things I’ve accomplished despite being born with Cerebral Palsy. As the youngest of three children, I moved out of my family home and into a group home before my sisters did.  At 18, I moved out again and spent 11 years there before settling in with my best friend for the last past 15 years.

I often say my life truly began after leaving the group home.  I’ve travelled all over the world, including New Zealand, and even jumped off the Sky Tower in Auckland. I’ve also swam across Okanagan Lake in British Columbia.

Eleven years ago, I wrote a book about my life with a disability and decided to publish it on Amazon.  Today, people still buy and read it. I have a website where I publish my book and other work, and a blog where I share my voice. I write about what truly matters to me and also write short stories. I know I’m not a great writer, but I find it easier to write on my iPad when something’s on my mind.

I play two kinds of sports: wheelchairs hockey and power chairs soccer. I’ve played soccer for six years and hockey for four now. Last year, I was on the winning team and we won the Stanley Cup. Then, in the summer, I was on the winning soccer team in the Schoneck Cup. Two weeks after that soccer tournament, I went to Lethbridge for a hockey tournament and was on the winning team again. This year, I won two awards and was the runner-up for three more! I blocked the most shots (72) and received the unsung hero award. I was also a runner-up for “Most Outstanding Female Player,” “Most Improved Defenseman,” and “Most Outstanding Defenseman.” 

I was incredibly honoured to be part of an fantastic hockey team and play in The National Championship in Ottawa.  We even got to play at the Calgary Flames! Joining such a talented group was nerve-wracking, but I know I’m improving my skills.  While I get to play, I mostly just sit on the bench and watch.  It’s not a problem, though, because the league here in Ottawa is so competitive. I’ve seen players fall over in their chairs, and I was just speechless!  They got back up and kept playing, which inspired me by all those awesome athletes.

I always have big goals for my life. I’ve already accomplished swimming across the Okanagan Lake. But I’m having an idea for something I’ve never thought about before, something I know would never happen. I’m just thinking swimming from Vernon to Kelowna. And then swimming from Vancouver to Victoria to try that open sea. A part of me wants to try that because I feel like I am a dolphin and I don’t have a disability holding me back from a lot of things that I want to do in my life. But I know that I have to keep going to work out because if not I won’t  be able to do the things that I love for myself and to live my life to the fullest.