Failure will
never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. - Og Mandino
A dream doesn't
become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. -
Colin Powell
The difference
between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination. - Tommy
Lasorda
How would you feel if you lost all feeling in your legs, lost all
movements of your hands, lost all functioning to swallow, speak, and then
everything goes black?
That is what Victoria Arlen encountered at the age of 11. Up to that point, she had been a very active
child swimming in the local lake and her family’s backyard swimming pool. She competed in local swimming events and had
become a very good swimmer. Then,
everything went black in her life. For
two years, she heard nothing, could not communicate with anyone and was in a
vegetable state. When she finally did
wake up, she could hear everything going on around her, but could not
communicate with anyone. Three years
after her “black out” doctors finally diagnosed her with two equally rare
conditions: “Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis,
autoimmune disorders that caused swelling in my brain and spinal cord”
(espn.com).
Through all of this, her parents supported her and in December 2009 she
made eye contact with her mom. During
the next year, she slowly started to relearn everything such as how to say
vowels, eat, swallow, arms movements, but her legs never moved. She had come to the realization that she
would never walk again and never swim again.
In 2010, her three brothers threw her into the family’s swimming
pool. She was terrified, but soon
learned that she did not need her legs to swim.
Victoria soon discovered that she was still a very good swimmer and
regained her confidence in the pool.
In 2012, she made the USA Paralympic swim team and competed in the London
games. She won 3 silvers and won gold in
the 100-meter freestyle, where she set a world record!
On November 11, 2015, she took her first step on a treadmill while
strapped to harnesses to hold her up.
March 3, 2016 she threw away the crutches and has not stopped walking
since!
Victoria Arlen now works for ESPN and has reported for espnW, X Games and
Sportscenter across all platforms. Her
motto:
Face It,
Embrace It, Defy It, Conquer It
CHALLENGE: We all go through tough times. Your tests become your testimony to help
others. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
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