Tag: never give up

What’s Your Story with Christy Gardner

What’s Your Story with Christy Gardner

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:12 — 46.6MB)

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 US Army Veteran, USA Sled Hockey Teammate, Therapy Dog Trainer, Special Olympics Coach, Bilateral Below Knee Amputee

Christy does it all! She is amazing, inspiring, and constantly pushing her limits to see what is possible!

As I wrap up my interviews for Limb Loss/Limb Difference Awareness month (April), I have to say I am renewed, Inspired, and ready to take on the world!

Christy was planning on serving our country for the maximum number of years, until one fateful day she was hit by a local strike in an undisclosed area she was serving as a MP Sergeant. She ended up with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and spinal cord damage which ultimately led to her double amputation.  She was distraught and had been told that she would never talk or walk again and would never be able to live on her own.

What saved her? How did she go from that “diagnoses” to becoming an alternate to the US Paralympic Track and Field team, a member of the women’s US Sled Hockey team, therapy/service dog trainer, and living alone?  Well, you need to listen in to hear her tell her story. Hear how a friend at the VA kept inviting her to come see what sports were available, how a dog named Moxie changed her life forever for the best, and how her unrelenting desire to be better and achieve the impossible, made everything possible once again!

 

Don’t miss this episode and an opportunity to find your own strength in Christy’s story.

Thank you, Christy, for spending time with me and blessing us with your story of hardship and triumph, and how you were able to overcome such large obstacles. You are a true warrior and such an inspiration! Best wishes in all you do.

 

Competition is such a powerful motivator for Christy…

 

But then again, so was Moxie!🐾

 

Make sure you watch the YouTube episode of my interview with Christy, as well! You can find my YouTube channel by search BAWarrior360

 

And as always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

Making a Difference- ROMP Global

Making a Difference- ROMP Global

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:52 — 45.7MB)

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Range of Motion Project Global

What an amazing group of people creating opportunities for amputees who might never had the chance to enjoy freedom and independence that mobility brings.

Range of Motion Project Global is changing lives, one prosthetic at a time. I have had the honor of helping them fundraise and getting mobile for their cause the past 2 years as an amputee, because I know how my prosthetic has changed my life for the better.

I feel complete and know that I can do anything I put my mind to now that I have a leg to stand on (pun intended). I don’t take this lightly or for granted because even with amazing insurance coverage we had as a family, I almost didn’t receive a leg! There are so many people in the world that may never get one and that’s tragic.

What you may not understand is that losing a limb and then experiencing the fear of not receiving a prosthetic not only effects the physical nature of a person, it also impacts their emotional and mental health as well! We need to change this. We, as a world and one family, need to reach out and help those who don’t have a way of helping themselves.

This is what ROMP Global is all about. This is their mission. You can help!

Donate old parts from yours or your clients prosthetics.

Donate time and volunteer.

Get moving and participate in their events, like Mobility May, to bring awareness to this issue.

Donate money, any and all amounts are welcome!

We can all do something to help others feel the freedom that mobility brings. What can YOU do?

Check this podcast out, and make sure to listen until the end. The stories of the people they have helped will move you.

LP and David climbing their mountain

 

Want to get moving and help bring awareness to this project?  Join my team today and get yourself moving for the month of May, bring awareness to this amazing cause, and really appreciate your ability to move how and when you want. It’s a freedom we all take for granted, each and everyday.

Thank you for supporting ROMP Global and myself this Mobility May and all year long!

Join my team HERE

Donate to my team and ROMP HERE

ROMP Website

 

 

And as always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

What’s your mountain?

 

What’s Your Story with Noah Elliott

What’s Your Story with Noah Elliott

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:15 — 49.4MB)

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2x Paralympic Medalist, Father, and Cancer Survivor-Noah Elliott

 

Wow! Do you need some inspiration? Make sure you listen in today! Noah Elliott shares the journey he has been on since the age of 15, and how he went from becoming a teen father to cancer diagnoses to 2x Olympic medalist!  I mean, WOW!!!

2022 Winter Olympics

 

 Noah doing what he does!

 

Doing what he loves and his personality shines through the heaviest of winter clothing!😎

 

I am honored to call him a friend and am inspired beyond words at the grit and determination he has shown throughout his young life.

If you are struggling in your own journey and find it hard to be positive then consider this interview a huge dose of positivity made just for you.

Noah’s story will inspire, empower and lift you up.

Remember, we all go through hard times and Noah is just a person, like you and me. Listen and see if you can hear what makes him stand out from the crowd. Listen and hear what took him from what could have been a life of impossibilities to him doing the impossible.

See what you can learn from this interview, and the others from the past month, that set these individuals with limb loss/limb difference apart from the crowd. What do they have that you can adopt and use to achieve your goals. Remember, anything is possible with the right mindset, attitude, and faith in yourself.

Remember to like, subscribe and share so you don’t miss an episode!

 

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

And as always:

 

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

What’s Your Story with Dani Aravich

What’s Your Story with Dani Aravich

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:08 — 34.5MB)

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Come join us as we hear Dani tell her story. Born without a forearm and hand Dani’s parents, although not expecting that, showed her that she could do anything and be anything she put her mind to.

Dani had always been into sports and her dream job is to be a GM to an NFL football team.  She went off to college, got her degree in business and started working for the Indianapolis Colts and Pacer organizations, which led to, what she thought, was her dream job working for the Utah Jazz, however she grew impatient and felt something was missing. That’s when a Paralympics came to her attention.

Growing up she always competed with “able-bodied” individuals and not until after college and working her first few jobs with elite athletic programs did she explore para-athletic events. And like a dream Dani found herself qualifying and competing in both the summer AND winter Olympics, for Team USA!

Dani’s journey allows us to dream and contemplate the realization of our own dreams, and how we, too, can live them out at any given time, we just need to have our eyes open to the possibility and a mindset that says, “Yes, I can!” and “Why not me?”

What an incredible story of believing in oneself, pushing the limits, and going for it all! Don’t miss this interview.

 

 

Dani, thank you again, for spending time with me and allowing more people to hear your story. I hope they all feel encouraged to reach for the stars and dare to dream. I know I am!

 

And as always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

What’s Your Story with Roni Sasaki

What’s Your Story with Roni Sasaki

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:52 — 41.3MB)

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Born with limb difference but having the drive and determination to become something more than her “disability”. Being told she may never walk and having the will to prove everyone wrong.

Daring to dream big and pushing the boundaries of being an athlete with limb difference comes the story of Roni Sasaki, Gold medalist in Alpine Skiing, author, speaker, and entrepreneur.  This lady has accomplished a lot, but it was a rough road as a child with limb difference.

Listen in as Roni tells us what it was like to look different as a child, overcoming the fears of fitting in, and then dreaming so big her dreams seemed out of reach and silly, back then.  Be inspired by her story and how dreaming big and having faith, beyond measure, saved her and gave her purpose to push forward against the odds, accomplishing those dreams…and more!

Roni on the slopes using a normal ski and boot with outriggers

Roni also has a podcast called, “A Leg Up On Life”, which you can listen to HERE . And you can even hear me being interviewed by Roni in Episode #44 on her site as well!

What an incredible journey and story Roni has shared with us. I hope you find her as inspiring as I have to live your best life and to never give up on a dream.

Roni, thank you for spending time with me and giving my audience some amazing words to live by. You are a true warrior and a blessing to know.

 

 

As always and until next week,

BE Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!!

Much love,

Angie

Tell Me Your Story: Andrew Hauser

Tell Me Your Story: Andrew Hauser

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:08 — 45.7MB)

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Andrew Hauser: Athletic Trainer/Strength Coach to the MLB and NFL players

I am so excited to share amazing stories all month, interviewing people from all over, who have gone through losing a limb or have limb difference, and letting them share their story and how they have risen from and conquered the challenges in their lives.

This week’s interview is with Andrew Hauser, athletic trainer/strength coach in the MLB and with NFL players, who lost his leg in a scary and tragic accident at 18 years old.  He was a baseball player and getting ready to head off to college to a whole new world when this took place. Can you even imagine being 18 years old with whole world in your reach, only to have your life turned upside down in a heartbeat?!?!

Andrew’s positive outlook, and his ability to be introspective and calm, was not only astonishing at such a young age, but it probably was the key to him bouncing back and living an amazing life, full of adventure and helping others strive to reach their highest potential in the field he works in.

Listen in as you hear Andrew talk about his journey, the hurdles he had to jump through, finding a wife to love and be loved by, and embarking on a career that he hadn’t dreamed of as an 18 year old.  Hear what took place, in his own words, and how he ended up reconnecting with his identity as an athlete and having an incredible job, doing what he loves.

Thank you, Andrew, for sharing your story, your journey, and the struggles and triumphs you experienced along the way!

 

As always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much Love,

Angie

 

A Day in the Life

A Day in the Life

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:45 — 57.0MB)

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Let’s Take a Peek

Hi! My name is Angie and I am an above knee amputee and a skin fit socket wearer.

There are many struggles you might first think about when you see an amputee, the most obvious is walking (if they are a leg amputee), but there are so many daily, little (and big) struggles that you might never know about unless you are an amputee.

Did you know that most of us don’t shower with our leg on? Just getting in and out of a shower is a chore in and of itself!

We don’t sleep with it on, either, which means if and when we get up in the middle of the night we have to have other ways to get around, such as walker, crutches, wheelchairs.

And as a skin fit socket wearer, I have to be careful of my weight and what I consume. Lose too much weight and my socket won’t stay on. Gain even 4 pounds and it won’t even fit!

If I drink alcohol or consume too much salt the night before, I pay for it in the morning with a leg that won’t fit properly in the socket!

With Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness month coming in April I decided to share with you this week what a day in the life of a skin fit socket wearer looks like.  I hope my journey helps you embrace yours, help someone who is going through this too, or educates you on the inner workings of an above knee amputee.

Please make sure you stay tuned the next month as I have special guests all lined up during April that can share their stories of limb loss, limb difference, and how they traverse their life to find success. 2 of my guests are Paralympians who just competed in Bejing!! Trust me, you don’t want to miss April!!

 

 

This week, reach out to someone going through amputation, preparing to go through amputation, or is struggling with their own journey.

If you really want to make a difference then check out ROMP Global, HERE, where you can donate and get involved in helping get prosthesis into the hands of people in desperate need of them.  There is nothing more gratifying than helping someone find freedom of mobility through giving.  This group of people at ROMP do amazing work!!

 

I wish you an amazing week, make sure you don’t judge a book by the cover, and understand there is more to amputees than just learning to walk again.

As always, until next time,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

Me being me😁
Perseverance to Progress

Perseverance to Progress

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:57 — 34.3MB)

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Climbing That Hill Yet Again!

Want to be back on top? Then start now!
No better time than the present.

 

Life is a journey, one meant to be enjoyed, but of course, not all parts of our journey are enjoyable.  When we feel down on our luck, when we are hurting, or when things aren’t going our way, we find very little to enjoy.  But don’t fret.  That IS part of the journey, those moments are meant to help us, teach us about ourselves, and help us grow, build character and coping skills for the “next time”, oh and there will be a next time, for sure.  The question I have for you is, how will you attack your situation?  Are you ready to unleash your inner warrior and fight for your life, fight to enjoy it once again? Or do you struggle to find a peace and struggle to breathe when things get hard?

You aren’t alone when it comes to these struggles. We all have moments of weakness, moments that we want to give up or throw in the towel, but that’s not living, right?  And that can’t be the end.

We need to persevere and rise up!  You can do this, I know you can!

Even when you feel you have nothing left to give, you must learn to dig down deep and give it your all.  After all, you are worth it!

I love this saying, it has truly been my realization after many years of surgeries and then amputation.  As I look back I can see how everything I experienced over the years was building me up to handle what I’m going through today.  And I also realized that “This too, shall pass” is an accurate description of life.  This goes for the good times as well as the not so good times.

 

If you want to change, create better habits and drop bad habits then it’s time to get to work….TODAY!  No better time than the present.

Let’s tackle life together. Let’s discover the warrior within ourselves and let her lose!

I’m with you, I believe in you, and I know you have what it takes to accomplish your wildest dreams.

 

 

Start NOW, don’t wait or postpone anymore.

  1. Write down what you want to see change
  2. Decide when you’d like to, realistically, see this change happen by and write it down.
  3. Write down the steps you need to take to accomplish this task.
  4. Create a journal to write down the changes you see each day, good and bad (when you have steps forward and even backward)
  5. Take pictures of yourself on this journey (if you are trying to see physical changes), you’ll be surprised at how they will help you push forward on hard days.
  6. Start today. Don’t wait.

 

You’ve got this!  If you’ve listened to my podcast and can relate to what I said then you are ready to begin fresh.  Go after your goals. Reach for the stars and don’t let anyone tell you that you “can’t”. I believe in you!

As Always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

 

Fear

Fear

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:25 — 39.0MB)

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Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear.  To be able to accomplish those goals you will have to face those things that scare you or stand down and not accomplish them.  The choice is yours, every single time.

You may have also heard the saying that fear can either represent:

Forget Everything And Run

or

Face Everything And Rise

 

I understand fear, and the chance that I may not succeed. The fear of failure, or looking “stupid” trying and failing, is real. I hate NOT being able to do something that I set out to do and have really had to dig down deep to push through the fear of failing at it. Losing my leg has definitely made me face that fear every single day. It became a thrive and survive situation for me with no way out except through.  I have learned a lot about me, learned to control my emotions as I face fearful situations, and grace when I don’t succeed on the first try. I pick myself back up and try again, and again, and again, until I get it done, and done right.

The reality is that every day we all face something that can stop us in our tracks or push us to rise and conquer, and each day we have a choice on how we will handle the situations that confront us.  What will you choose? How will you handle the fears that challenge you?

I know that each of our stories is different, but fear is fear. What I have realized from overcoming amputation is that when I choose to push through the challenges and fears in my life, I am richly rewarded with success, which then helps me drive through the next situation.

This can be your story too! Don’t let fear take hold of you and dictate your life. Grab the bull by the horns and take charge. You only get this one life, you deserve to find happiness, live well, and be healthy.

 

I am still learning to function in my running blade. It isn’t easy and I have a lot of fear associated with it, as I often trip and fall hard. The past few days I have worn it into the gym and gotten on the treadmill and worked out in it. I have been pushing past the fear that people are watching and if I fall and get hurt, I would be mortified, and yet I continue to wear it and work through it, at my own pace. My stress levels are a bit higher than if I went into the gym with my normal leg, but I wouldn’t learn to rise from this fear and overcome it.  The only way to winning this war is straight through. I must have patience and grace with myself as I learn to function with this leg, so I will continue on this path until I don’t feel this way anymore.

 

Now it’s your turn:

Start now. What are you most fearful of right now in your life? Start small, if you must, fear is fear. Your goal this week is to face your fear head on and push through. You may get burned, you may stumble and fall-metaphorically or literally like in my case, but work at it. Each day spend time facing it, dealing with it, instead of pushing it aside for “another day”. This is the day to rise up and feel great about yourself. By completing something difficult or challenging yourself to something you fear you grow. You build character and come out a little stronger, and a little wiser, ready to take on the next roadblock that appears in your life.

Best of luck at kicking fear aside and rise from the situation this week. Attack and don’t give up. Have grace with yourself if you fall down, pick yourself up by the bootstraps, and go at it again, until you find success. You can do it, I have faith in you!

And as always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

The look of facing fear and coming out on top! 💪
Unleash Your Inner Warrior

Unleash Your Inner Warrior

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:12 — 36.0MB)

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The time is now! Let’s find the warrior within you. Let’s dig deep and create the life you have always wanted to have.

After all that I went through these past several years with all the “down time” I had while I was healing from surgery after surgery, I realized that my life was shifting and changing, and I felt that God was giving me a new path and my future had so many possibilities.

My family had been there for me through so much, I learned a lot about myself through my trials, and I saw my relationship with my husband grow as I saw a man who supported me and my drive even in the midst of huge trials.

 

In this podcast I talk to you about what was happening to me, internally, as I struggled through 5 years of failed knee surgeries and the past 3 years after my choice to amputate my leg above the knee.

 

Today, I am a certified personal trainer with a specialization in corrective exercise and fitness nutrition. My goal is to help those who wish to live a healthier and more active lifestyle, no matter where they are at in their journey called life.

Take a listen to this week’s podcast to hear where my journey has led me, what my thinking was behind the years of trials I endured, and how I can help you in the next step of your journey. I get it. I know what it is to rise from the ashes and reinvent myself.

 

 

 

Life is a journey:

  • Reach out to me if you need or want a change in your life and need someone who will guide and motivate you.
  • Share this post and podcast with someone you know could use the help. Maybe you have a friend or a parent struggling with a medical issue, or finding a healthy lifestyle and you want the best for them. I’m here and ready to help.

I hope you are having an amazing start to 2022 and remember, no need for new year’s resolutions, or feeling like it’s already too late to start anew. Now is the time to start. No more excuses!

 

Let’s get at it and unleash the warrior that I know is inside of you waiting to come out and attack life.

You owe it to yourself and your family to live your best, most healthy life…NOW!

 

Before my transformation anmd right after amputation

 

Warrior unleashed with me!

 

 

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

much love,

Angie

 

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