The Life Without Limits Challenge 2017!!!

This past weekend, a group made up of my awesome friends and family and I walked five kilometres to raise money and awareness for Cerebral Palsy and other different- abilities at the 11th annual Life Without Limits Challenge held in Calgary.

This was easily one of the most rewarding and impactful experiences I have ever had, because I was surrounded by people who could identify with the struggles and triumphs associated with CP. I felt a sense of unity that I have never experienced before. It was so rewarding to know that the money raised from the event is going make a difference in the lives of so many people, but the most important lesson I took away from participating in this event is that our best is always good enough, even if we didn’t do what we initially hoped we would.

You see, when I first started training to walk a distance of five kilometres on forearm crutches, I set a goal to walk the whole thing. It wasn’t until the day of the walk that I realized the goal that I had set for myself was completely unrealistic. My body just can’t do that, so I improvised. My team and I set a pace. I walked one hundred meters. Then, I sat in my chair while one of my team members pushed me until I was ready to get up and start walking again.

And then there was little Cash…

Cash is an adorable six-year-old boy dressed as, Darth Vader who navigated the challenge using his wheelchair and walker.

There came a point during the walk where I could tell he was struggling. I climbed back into my wheelchair, wheeled up next to him and said, “ It’s okay. We can do it together! Wanna have a race?” His eyes lit up. He nodded his head, and lifted his light saver up towards the sky. With the help of our moms we raced to the next corner. He won.

Cash reminded me that we don’t always have to do things in a conventional way to be successful. If anything, having Cerebral Palsy has taught me to think outside of the box. You have to do what works for you. In life, it doesn’t matter how we choose to conquer our challenges. What matters is the effort we put in to reach that finish line.