[MUSIC PLAYING] I'm a cyclist. I play
basketball. I'm a skier. I rock climb. I just qualified for the
Boston Marathon. My name is Katie, and
I'm paralyzed. August of 2002, I was
in an auto accident. I was a passenger in a car that
the tire blew, it rolled, and I was thrown out
from the car. No one had to tell me, but I
knew that I was paralyzed. I remember the first time I
was alone in the hospital. I had to sit and think. And I was at a crossroads. I could either be the bitter
angry person, or hit this challenge head on. And that's exactly what
I decided to do.
I can honestly say that I was
filled with complete trust from the very first time I
remember waking up, I knew that everything was
going to be OK. I had trust in the Lord that He
had a plan for me, that He was going to make it possible
for me to succeed. I decided to go to the local
hospitals and go talk to newly injured patients. I've been able to go to other
countries in need. It's been great to serve others,
to give them hope. It was the best, the
best feeling ever. That's what this life is about--
service of others, and the job that it brings. Since the accident, I love
taking on new challenges. And being able to embrace all of
these new ways of life and new activities that I do,
it keeps me happy. I'm always searching out
new things to do. And it's just shown me
that this is just another way of life. The example that I'm giving to
my children, to my peers, it's worth everything to me. I've definitely learned that
the Lord sees the bigger picture, and that the Lord sees
the ability within the disability. If we turn our lives over to
Him, no matter what happens in this life, we will always be
given the strength to keep moving forward. I know this for certainty. It is often in the trial of
adversity that we learn those most critical lessons that form
our character and shape our destiny. [MUSIC PLAYING]