August 29, 2014
On August 29, 2014 my life took a turn for the “incredible”… this photo was taken in my last moments of dealing with chronic pain and limitations from my birth defect. Within 30 min of this snapshot I was walking, running, and not ashamed to say it: sweating like a hog and every part of body ached except my clubfoot! It. was. awesome. As I look back on the last year I am happy to say that I still feel the same excitement and appreciation of each step I take and still have an unwavering gratitude for everyone that helped make this possible. (seriously emotions other than sarcasm and extreme happiness make me really uncomfortable. I’m that person that waits until i’m alone to cry even if it’s happy tears. So imagine about an hour pause in between that last sentence and this next one… because that’s what I took) There is a piece of everyone that donated support, both financial and emotional, in each adventure I have been on and will continue to go on and I thank every single one of you.
GAH ok that was totally awkward… like ripping off a band aid right? Now for an update on all of my recent adventures!! Since my last 5K post which was FIVE months ago (time flies!) I have:
- Hiked a tough 8 mile trail in the Colorado Rockies
- Won a Softball Tournament!
- Finally did a Pull-Up… actually TWO Pull-ups!
- Finally taken control to lead a healthy lifestyle and no longer have migraines because of it!! WOOHOO!
- Flipped a big @ss tire!
- Danced, danced, and danced some more.
- Walked on a beach! (this was seriously a nightmare pre- IDEO/ExoSym)
- Spent HOURS in the kitchen standing and cooking!
- Met some incredible men/women on their own journey to get the IDEO/Exosym who continue to inspire me daily!
- Camped out at a weekend music festival and walked around for HOURS!
My upcoming BIG adventures:
- September: 5K “Race For A Soldier”. My parents will be in town and walking with my fiance and I for this great cause! Visit http://www.raceforasoldier.org to join us!
- July 2016: I’m getting married!! You better believe I’ll be rocking my boinic leg and some fancy sneakers so I can dance the night away! I can’t imagine a wedding without it!
- November 2016: I have a tentative plan to participate in the Working Wounded Games in Virginia. It is a cross-fit style “competition” with a focus on adaptive athletes and I’m excited to be a part of this if not next year then definitely in 2017!
Other adventures / dates TBD:
- I still haven’t tested out golfing yet! I’d like to sign up for a lesson since I’ve always adjusted my swing to accommodate my foot and might be able to have a NORMAL swing now! I also have never been able to walk 18 holes so I need to make that happen!
- Spend the day at an amusement park!
- MORE HIKING!
Adventures take place in the sky as well!
Red Rocks, CO
Hiking in Colorado
Softball Champions!
A few days ago I said that before getting my IDEO/ExoSym I was “a ball of energy trapped inside a body that just couldn’t keep up with it”… now I have to figure out how to keep up with myself 🙂
Until next time! Hopefully I’ll be better about updating this blog in the next year to come!
Cheers!
the chronicles of tinkerton 
Congrats on your 1 year mark. I was reading through your posts and I seem to have very similar emotions about the IDEOs. When I tried out the prototypes I was so happy, but I was about a second away from breaking down because it was such relief, and I prefer to cry in private. I really don’t want to be a sobbing woman in front of Ryan, lol. Anyway, I want to thank you for writing and posting about them, I’m pretty sure your blog and videos are what made me reach out to Ryan and I can’t thank you enough. I can’t wait to pick mine up and then I’ll be able to walk around Gig Harbor without pain!
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