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Thank You for visiting my site and sharing a minute with me.
I MADE IT! On January 31st, 2010 I became the first female paraplegic to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. It was an incredible and amazing journey and adventure! I am now in the history books 
You can learn more about the climb, see pictures, the trailer to our documentary and stay informed on how you can see the documentary at our climb website: www.throughtheroofmovie.com .
So more about me. I give motivational speeches to businesses, schools, triathlon clubs, graduations, and churches and pretty much to anyone who will listen. I enjoy sharing my journey and spreading awareness of the hope and opportunity in recovery as well as encouraging others that they can reach for their dreams/goals even when facing challenges. Anything is possible! My ability to share ideas with other people is expanding.
My Physcal Education background and current sports program gives me an ideal position to share with them the ideas of helping challenged people in becoming successful in sports. And inspiring able-bodied people that if I can go “running” without using my legs, than what is their excuse 
April 19th I got the privlage to go back up to my Alma Mater and teach the WSI (water safety instructor) class how to work with people who have physical challenges. The college students got to experience how it felt to swim without being able to see, swimming as if they were a single leg amputee, then as if they were a paraplegic. A little adaptive swimming lesson for them so they would be a little prepared as if they had a student with any of these challenges as well as some others that we went over in the classroom…we were just having so much fun that we ran out of time while in the pool. I also just shared my story with many grade school kids and it is fun to be asked questions that only kids would ask. They take everything in more than we think and are aware of. They get so excited. They also all want me to autograph their hands, binders, paper, whatever…its kinda fun I take my business cards in and give them each one to keep. I will be doing more speaking this year as the coverage of the climb has brought that on and has helped spread my name out there. I look forward to the many opportunites I will have in the future!
Racing started with the LA Marathon then a weekend later at the end of March I had the Redlands Classic. I raced 2 races for the weekend. The very next weekend (so three weekends in a row) I had the Carlsbad 5000. I have a number of races I will be competing in around the US and hopefully an international race which will be exciting. I will try and keep races posted on my schedule/calendar page so check it out.
I have been working out at 24 hr Fitness in Carlsbad with Jamie Brown whom I really like his approach and style. His workouts are not just for fitness but incorporate my recovery training as well. I also enjoy the spinning classes as the location that I attend actually has two krankcycles that they will just wheel one into class whenever I need. I have a few workout partners that I meet there. Then I do exercises with my parents at home more on the SCI (spinal cord injury) recovery side of things. Some of the exercises include crawling, hands and knees, standing at my ballerina bar (front of legs braces against the furniture), floor exercises…etc. And of course I am out on the road in my handcycle or in the house on the trainer. Same goes for my racing chair in which I can push outdoors or on the “homemade” rollers (by my dad and I) at home or in the pool swimming usually at the Encinitas YMCA Ecke with the Masters Swim class, in which unfortunately I have not been able to get in the water for a while now which will hopefully change soon as the first triathlon for the season is approaching fast!
Why do I use a wheelchair for transportation? 
I was paralyzed from the chest down on New Year’s Eve, 2005, from a tiny bleed inside my spinal cord. My goals are to recover fully and to share the challenge of Spinal Cord Recovery with thousands of people through my therapy, speaking, and sports. Thank You for contributing to my recovery by your generous donations and by bookmarking my site.
Your generous gifts go 100% to my recovery which consists of: 24 hr Fitness gym membership, training with Jamie, bodywork with Kevin my bodyworker twice a week. Kevin, my bodyworker does neurological release and repatterning/reprogramming at the hemorrhage site I used to drive myself to Anaheim 2 times a week for super walking therapy at Polfit but just can’t afford it right now. These are just my training/therapy. Does not include the extra daily living costs or buying new equipment. But it is all worth it and I ‘m showing amazing progress. Thank you for your donations in making all this possible!
Once again, thank-you for visiting my recovery site. Your donations continue further support for my recovery. You give me the opportunity to travel to races and show others and myself that we all can go for our dreams no matter how big they are! May God continue to bless you and to bless me. Thank-you!
You can also email me through susan@gibsonpr.com
