Shifting Gears

As a young adult I faced many hardships, getting Bacterial Meningitis at the age of 23, and again at the age of 28.  No one thought I would make it out of the hospital alive! I survived this horrific disease only to find out down the road there was more to come . . .

Seizures starting at the age of 35, as time went by my body started to change.  Numbness and spasm started in my legs, stomach, head, & neck.  Little by little my spine started going abnormal (swayback position).  Having fluctuating severe muscle spasms, progressive stiffness, rigidity & dystonia it has taken over my body from my waist to the lower extremities that have left me wheelchair bound.  It took four years to diagnose that I had a rare progressive disorder which there is no cure for called “Stiff Man’s Syndrome.”

I’m especially proud of making the USA Wheelchair Curling Team from Nov. 2007 – March, 2011.  Earning a Bronze Medal at the 2008 World Championship in Sursee, Switzerland.  After the 2010 Winter Paralympics I wanted to get involved in summer sports.  In June 2010 I started rowing at the Navesink Rowing Club, Red Bank, NJ.  In April 2011, I was invited to the High Performance Olympic & Paralympics National Training Center for Rowing in Oklahoma.  I moved there full time to train with my Coach Matt Muffelman & Teammate.  The US National Trials were held in Princeton, NJ on June 29, 2011 where we earned a spot on the USA National Adaptive Rowing Team becoming #1 in the Country.  I will travel to the World Championships in Bled, Slovenia on Aug 22, 2011 to compete for the World Title.  It is an honor to be able to represent our Country once again.