When I was younger I used to run around with my friends on the playground and walk everywhere I went. However, when I started high school I had to start using a mobility scooter in order to keep up with the other kids, and not be to exhausted to do my homework when I got home. My decision to use the scooter worked well and I was able to graduate from De La Salle with good grades and an acceptance letter to Saint Mary’s College. I also used the scooter when I got to Saint Mary’s and was also able to successful there too. I graduated in 4 years with my degree in communications. With all the successes that I had over those eight years of school there was one setback. I had used the scooter for so long that I had lost a lot of my muscle in my legs and with that I also lost the ability to walk on my own.
Recently I have started the process to get back to walking. One of my brothers friends from high school, Kaitie Kinser, reached out to me, telling me about a gym/therapy place she is working at called SCI-FIT. SCI-FIT was founded by a man with a spinal cord injury who was told he’d never walk again after his accident. He now walks with a pair of canes and is still using the program to get stronger. Even though the workouts kick my butt I really enjoy going to SCI-FIT. The people there, both trainers and trainees, are all working and encouraging you to reach your goal. I believe that by working with SCI-FIT I will definitely be able to get back walking.
Throughout my time of going to SCI-FIT I have had my mom taking videos so I can post them on Instagram. My hope in doing this is to remind others to never stop reaching for your goals and never put a limit on what you can achieve. One day after I posted one of my workout videos on Instagram, I got a text from my friend Nick. He told me that when he got off work one day he was going to skip going to the gym until he saw my video. He was inspired by the effort I put in to make myself stronger even though I knew how hard it was going to be for me. He ended up going to the gym and working extra hard fueled by the inspiration of a friend that refused to give up. I will continue to post these videos in hopes to inspire more people or if nothing else just document my progress in my goal to walk again.
Alex Levesque 