- [Narrator] Production and distribution of City Club Forums on Ideastream Public Media are made possible by PNC and the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland Incorporated.

(upbeat techno music) (indistinct crowd chatter) (bell dings) - Hello and welcome to the City Club of Cleveland.

We are devoted to conversations of consequence, that help democracy thrive.

It's Tuesday, December 13th, and I'm David Gilbert, president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, in Destination Cleveland.

It's my pleasure to introduce today's forum, which is in partnership with Velocity, a programming and legacy effort for Cleveland's hosting of the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2021 NFL draft, 2022 NBA All-Star Game, and 2024 NCAA Women's Final Four and part of City Club's diversity thought leadership series.

Today we have the privilege of hearing from Alana Nichols, a three-time Paralympian gold medalist.

Growing up, sports were not just something that Alana Nichols did, they were her identity.

After suffering a traumatic spinal cord injury, while snowboarding at the age of 17, she was paralyzed from the waist down, thinking her athletic career was over.

She participated in a wheelchair basketball game, her freshman year, at University of New Mexico.

As it usually goes with elite athletes, the competitive gameplay reignited her passion for sports and adventure.

Alana will go on to compete in several Paralympic games and is the first woman Paralympian, to win gold medals at both summer and winter games.

She has competed in wheelchair basketball, Paralympic Alpine Monte skiing, and her first Paralympic games in Rio, para canoeing.

So, what can we learn from Alana on her resiliency and her passion for challenging herself and others?

Moderating the conversation is Zaria Johnson, reporter and producer at Ideastream Public Media.

I would also like to thank KeyBank, for their partnership with this and while we have a lot of staff to thank for their work and all of Velocity, particularly for today, Becky Gracmer.

If you have a question for our speaker, you can text it to 330-541-5794.

That's 330-541-5794.

You can also tweet your question to @thecityclub and City Club staff will try to work it into the second half of the program.

Members and friends of the City Club of Cleveland, please join me in welcoming Alana Nichols.

(audience applauds) - Hi.

Welcome.

- Hello, good morning everyone.

- Thank you for being here.

I'm excited to dive into these questions, but we heard a little bit about it in your bio, but I'd like to start with talking more about your, kind of, history with sports.

I know you've been involved with sports, since you were three, I think.

So, if you could talk a little bit about, you know, your relationship with sports and how that might have changed, after you were paralyzed.

- Yeah.

Well, thank you all for being here this morning and thank you so much for having me, the City Club and the Sports Commission.

It's truly an honor, especially after learning a little bit more about the history of this place.

You know, sports has always played a big role in my life as a child.

I came from a non-traditional family dynamic.

My dad was actually killed by a drunk driver, when I was a baby.

My mom was kind of ill-equipped to raise all of her three kids.

And so, I was adopted by my grandparents and thankfully, in turn, was given a second chance at everything.

And my grandma, maybe for like, reasons more under the category of, we just need some time away from you, involved me in sports.

So, I started with T-Ball at five and I played volleyball and softball with the Boys and Girls Club growing up and you know, I did find my identity in sport.

I was definitely one of those kids that was on the fence.

I could have gone one way or the other and it was sports that kept me on track, really.

And you know, all of the positive byproducts of sports, that you don't even know that you're being exposed to, like, community and goal setting and discipline and all of those things, they were kind of happening to me and developing my character all along, right?

And I didn't know that I was gonna need these lessons that I learned, as I was growing up through, you know, elementary, junior high and high school.

When I did eventually break my back, my senior year in high school, I was a three sport athlete at the time and really, I had put all my eggs in that basket 'cause I was hoping to get a college scholarship for fast pitch softball.

So, you know, very much my identity, but also like, what I loved so much.

So, you could imagine at 17 years old, kind of, with the world, kind of, at my fingertips, right?

Everybody at 17 feels like unstoppable and 10 foot tall and you know, it's a beautiful thing.

You're kind of naive and you just can't wait to go after it, you know, get the world and grab it by the horns, you know?

And I really, I knew that I was kind of in, what's the word, that I'm tugging, like, nothing could hurt me, right?

At 17 years old.

And so, I was actually kind of obsessed with trying a back flip on a snowboard.

I could do a flat ground back flip and was just one of those really athletic, kind of, risk-taking kids.

And my senior year in high school, went out early in the season, November 19th of the year 2000 over rotated a back flip, ended up landing on my back, directly on, what I later learned was like a four foot boulder.

So, I immediately upon impact, I broke three vertebrae in my back, was paralyzed.

And honestly, it was really shocking.

It wasn't as painful as it was confusing.

I just didn't know what was happening.

It was very electric and I felt the feeling leave my body and I just didn't know what that was.

And I remember asking a friend of mine where my board and my boots were, after I had done the flip and he said that they were on my feet and that's kind of when I knew everything was really wrong.

But, to answer your question, so I, you know, having sports as my foundation, going into that life altering injury.

After my injury, I was in rehab with nobody under 75, you know, mostly hip replacements and things like that.

And they all called me speedy and I'm just cruising the rehab, like, what do I do next, you know, like, I wanna figure it out and I have set goals and I achieved them.

And you know, one of the hardest conversations, after my injury, was with my doctor, when he told me what a spinal cord injury was and how every other tissue in your body can regenerate.

Your brain, your heart, your lungs, your- Even peripheral nerves can get better.

But if you hurt your spinal cord, you can't, it doesn't heal.

And he said that whatever I got back, in the two years after my injury, is what I would live with for the rest of my life.

Naturally, I was like, well, this doctor doesn't know what he's talking about because I'm gonna walk, you know, and I took that two years, following my injury, very seriously.

I focused very much on walking.

And when that two year mark kind of came around and I didn't walk, I hit a really low point.

You know, it's such a delicate time to have to go through all of that.

So, at one point I'm in college, at the University of New Mexico and I just, I authentically just, didn't wanna participate in life.

I didn't wanna live anymore because of my perspective on it all.

And one day, I was rolling through the gym, an auxiliary gym and I call this, kind of, a god moment because I didn't ever go that way.

It was kind of a shortcut.

But I cut through the gym and I saw this whole team of people playing wheelchair basketball.

And if you've ever seen this sport being played, like, you can't not look right, it's violent I mean, people are, there's five people on one team, five on the other, they're all in basketball chairs, they're hitting each other, they're falling over, they're shooting three point shots from a seated position and sinking them.

And you're like, wow, you know?

And I had heard about adaptive sports before my injury, but I didn't really, I was very prideful.

I didn't think, like, adaptive sports would do it for me.

And then I saw it and I was like, dang, I need to get in there.

I wanna get hit.

Like, let's go.

And you know, after my injury, sports were there for me, just like they always had been.

And you know, I got into that basketball chair and I strapped in and it's got slanted wheels and two wheels in the back, so you don't fall over.

And I'm pushing really fast again, like, running for the first time after my injury.

And I just felt so agile and I just like, I'll never forget looking over at this person that was missing both of his legs and being like, I don't care how many legs you don't have.

I'm like, I'm going, you know?

And I just, it was like the competitive spirit in me didn't ever get paralyzed.

I wanted to play, I wanted to compete, I wanted to be the best, I wanted to be the fastest, you know, I just needed to adapt.

- And what were some of those, I guess, preconceived notions that you had about adaptive sports, before you were able to experience that wheelchair basketball game?

- Yeah, well it was, I didn't actually know anything about adaptive sports before my injury.

And I'd never been really exposed to anybody with a disability, or adaptive sports at all.

So, I made up my own ideas about it and it was totally off.

You know, I thought it was just for folks that wanted to participate and if you ever go to the Paralympic games, we're not trying to participate.

We're trying to win gold medals, we're trying to win, you know, and, you know, it's not all, it's not- The whole journey isn't all about that.

'Cause if it is, less than 1% of the world gets to win a gold medal, right?

So, you have to make the journey about your own self, you know, introspection and growth and you push yourself when nobody's watching and you really learn what you're made of.

And that was really all I needed.

- And were you able to find a community, once you, you know, started participating in, not only wheelchair basketball, but all the other adaptive sports that you've found afterward?

- Yeah, that's, I mean honestly, that's the best thing for anybody going through a hard time, right?

Like, life is gonna throw curve balls at you, regardless.

We have no control over what happens in our lives, but we have control over what we do with it.

And getting involved in a group that, you know, is positive and uplifting and thinking of the possibilities, just like every other person with a disability that I met.

I think also, I just really needed to see what was possible.

And it wasn't until I got into the community, I met one of my best friends, her name's Patty Cisneros Prevo and she was the captain of the Paralympic basketball team.

She was getting her master's in teaching.

She was, like, you know, going to the bars and being social and having a good time in college and I was just like, oh I can, I mean, this could be great.

You know, like, I didn't have to always focus on what I had lost.

And really, that was when everything really shifted for me.

When I shifted my perspective from, literally counting all the things I couldn't do, to, oh, here's what I can do, here's what I still get to do, here's what I want to do, you know?

It really changed the whole vibe of what I was doing in my life, when I started thinking about what was possible.

- And in terms of motivation, right?

Like, sports, I'm not the most athletic person, but I know that sports require a lot of practice and determination and motivation.

So, where would you say that you pull your motivation from?

Is it mostly that competitive spirit, or is it something, more of a big picture than that?

- Motivation's a funny thing.

It's fickle.

It comes and goes, even for any athlete, Paralympic athlete, gold medalist, whatever.

There are so many days I don't wanna get up and get out of bed and go to the gym and everybody's gotta figure out what works for them, in terms of digging deep.

But for me, it was really about making any amount of progress on some days and some days that was like, get up and put your gym clothes on, that's all you have to do right now.

And you set those small goals and then you're like, get in your car, drive to the gym.

Oh dang, now I'm at the gym.

Ugh, I gotta get out.

Get out, go in, what's your first thing, warm up, you know?

So, there's some days that it doesn't come naturally, to just wanna get after it.

But I would certainly say, that both short-term and long-term goals have everything to do with your ability to stay, to get and stay motivated.

So, you know, setting just those smart, those short goals, that were really attainable creates the momentum that you need to achieve the the bigger ones.

- And is there, when it comes to training for the Paralympics, is there a sport that you feel like you'd like to train for more?

That you feel like it's easier to find that motivation?

- Oh man.

I would say, getting up at like 6:00 AM, to go get on a freezing cold mountain in spandex and fly down it at 70 miles an hour, was not my favorite.

I loved to ski, but that was so hard.

And then with para canoe kayak, I don't know if a lot of you have ever heard of it, but it's called sprint kayaking and you sit in a 13 foot long boat, by probably as wide as this chair and you have to kinetically move the paddle, pulling with your lats and turning with your core and stroke the water to where your boat raises up above the water and then glides and it all has to come together and you train endurance for the sprint.

So, I like everything I've ever done, I've just dive into things, like, without- I'm like, oh yeah, I wanna go for my third sport, sprint, kayak, it's gonna be awesome.

Next thing you know, I'm like, oh my god, I have to be on the water at 5:00 AM, to train for a whole hour, doing miles at a time, of just sprint kayak.

And yeah, I don't know what to say for myself.

That was also really hard.

The thing about it, I love a good challenge.

I love that nobody had done three sports and I wanted to see if it could be done.

And I loved that nobody had gone winter and summer and I wanted to see if it could be done.

And you know, part of being somebody with a disability is, always having to be creative and ingenuitive and figure out a way to adapt and not- It shouldn't always be on me to figure that out, but I kind of like the challenge, right?

A lot of my friends with disabilities would say that they're not disabled, until they come into an environment that isn't accessible, right?

So, I'm in a wheelchair, it's not rocket science.

If there's stairs I can't get up them, that's not accessible to me.

So, it's really an environmental issue and more often than not, it's put on people with disabilities, to figure out- That just took a shift.

But you know what I'm saying.

- Right, right.

I wanted to ask how, going back to, you know, making history, as the first woman to- Paralympian, to win both in the summer and winter games, what did it feel like when, you know, all of that hard work paid off and you finally made that accomplishment?

- Oh, you know, the thing about the Olympic and Paralympic games is there is a, there's certainly a fair amount of fortune that goes into winning, and luck.

So, I'm not saying that I didn't do everything to prepare.

Everything in my control, I did, to control the variables I could control.

But on that one day in history, you know, at that one time and amongst all of those other competitors, I was able to win.

And I just feel incredibly fortunate.

You know, I did all the same hard work.

Everybody there is doing all that hard work.

And for me, I was just felt so fortunate and, honestly, I didn't know, on the day that I won my gold medal, which I happened to bring for you guys.

I'll show you guys.

(audience laughs) This is the gold medal I won, that made me the first female American to win gold in the summer in winter games.

(audience applauds) Thank you.

And I, thankfully, was naive enough to know that I didn't have the opportunity to make history that day.

I didn't know that I had the opportunity to become the first female to win.

And so, when I got to the bottom, somebody told me that I made history and I was like, what?

So, I mean, ignorance is bliss in some st- You know, I don't know if I would've known that, at the top of that start gate because I gotta tell you, I was dealing with a lot of my own personal stuff, the day that I won that medal, my brother had been murdered just a year earlier.

In 2009, my brother was murdered in Denver, Colorado and he was a huge fan of mine.

And you know, I competed that year in Vancouver because of him.

He was my main source of inspiration.

And so, when I was in the starting gate, I don't know if anybody in here has ever gone through grief, but when you're grieving, it can sometimes pop up at like the most inopportune time.

And you just like, don't feel like crying.

You're like, oh God, here it comes.

I'm sitting at the start gate about- I'm looking at a gold medal in the face 'cause it's a two run ski race, the giant slalom.

So, I was already ahead by a little more than a second.

So, I knew I could win a gold right then and there, if I did what I needed to do.

And all of a sudden, I start crying, I'm like, oh God, why?

Like, everything's tearing up.

And I just threw a prayer up to my brother and said, can you help me out here?

And I don't remember anything from that race.

I got to the bottom, my name's on the jumbotron and out come the tears.

And I always joke, that it was not cute.

It was, ooh, it was not cute.

But you know, that's like the thing about podium tears.

Like, if you watch the Olympics and the Paralympics, more often than not, the athletes up there, that have won, are crying about something.

And the cool part is, there's always a story behind it.

It's not just, very rarely, is it about winning the gold, you know, it's about the people that were there with you along the way or that you lost along the way and your family and friends that supported you.

And I mean, it's so special.

And when I was listening to the national anthem, I could almost cry right now.

Are you hearing that?

Oh my god, hold on.

(audience laughs) Listening to the national anthem, you know, and having that because you've won for your country, is whew, pretty amazing.

So, thank you.

(audience applauds) - And obviously since then, you have been an inspiration for a lot of people.

Not only because of your athletic success, but I understand you have a master's in kinesiology and you've also been an advocate for other young women and young girls and athletes with disabilities.

So, how would you say all of that knowledge and experience has, sort of like, shaped how you view yourself, as an athlete, a teacher, a leader, and sort of like, this figure of representation for other people?

- Thank you.

Well, you know, heavy is the head that wears the crown.

No, I feel so honored and lucky and privileged, to be somebody that has gone through what I've gone through, so that I can access people in those places that need it the most.

That only I could be able to speak to that, you know?

So, I think everybody's had their own life experiences, exactly for that, so they can give back.

So, when it comes time and somebody else needs your wisdom and your insight, you have it for them.

I just had the honor, my husband runs a nonprofit organization, in Truckee, California, called the High Fives Foundation and I work with that organization really closely, obviously.

But I just had the opportunity, to take a young girl named Cass out surfing for her first time, since she got hurt and became paralyzed in a surfing accident.

So, like, imagine we're out in the ocean and just all the salt water, we are crying, there's salt water everywhere.

And she just was so grateful, you know, to know me.

She told me, you know, we had a moment out there, how lucky she was to have somebody like me to look up to.

And that just makes it all so worth it, you know, you don't know exactly why you're going through what it is that you're going through, but if you use it when you get to the other side of it, it's all for something, you know?

It's not for nothing.

- And what are you up to now?

Are you training for any other Paralympic games, or... - Call it already.

(Zaria and audience laugh) Well, I stay pretty busy with my three-year-old and that's arguably, like, the most high, intense contact sport I've ever played.

(audience laughs) Honestly, nobody told me I would get physically hurt so often, well after I gave birth, like, that was physically painful, but like getting headbutted all the time, like what is that.

- Oh, that's uncalled for.

(Zaria laughs) - He's so rowdy.

So, I stayed busy with him.

I have been so fortunate to be involved with the Women's Sports Foundation, which is based outta New York.

Billy Jean King, don't know if you've heard of her, she's kind of a big deal.

She started that organization in '74, to basically advocate for equality in sports, for all women and all girls.

So, we are very passionate about the research involved in understanding the current landscape of young girls and women in sports and why girls are participating, why they aren't and what we can do about it.

So, I was the president of the Women's Sports Foundation, in 2020 and still stay really heavily involved.

And we just had our annual salute, which is our big fundraiser, and Serena Williams came and that was all- I just got to see her, so that was cool.

(everybody laughs) And yeah.

So, we just do what we can, to create opportunities for girls and women to play.

And I do some coaching.

I coach wheelchair basketball and tennis in Reno.

And yeah, I've really found, kind of, a little bit of solace in not competing.

It was hard at first, but I'm like, I'm always gonna be competitive.

But it's nice to not be constantly chasing something with such fierce, like, tenacity, you know?

You have to train every day.

It's nice.

I'm chilling.

(Zaria and audience laugh) - It's a little bit of time for self care, you know?

- Yeah, I'm chilling.

Got some gold medals.

- Right, right.

Speaking of the gold medals, I do wanna ask, I think the audience would like to know where you keep them at home when they're- - Oh, well, it's probably not going to impress you.

They are in a backpack, at the foot of my clothes, in my closet.

(Zaria and audience laugh) Like, most people have them in their sock drawer, yeah.

They just, I don't know.

I know this sounds really pompous, but I can only bring two because they're really heavy, so... - Right.

(audience laughs) - I have two of them here.

(audience continues laughing) It's Olympic, Paralympic problems, you know, neck issues.

- Right, right.

(audience continues laughing) Find some time to go to the chiropractor, now that you're not- - Yeah, I'll work on that.

(Zaria laughs) I think we're about at time.

- [Dan] Yeah.

Okay.

(audience applauds) - Thank you.

- Hey guys, I'm Dan Moulthrop, I'm the chief executive here.

Just like you, enjoying the heck out of this program, with Alana Nichols.

A three time, did she mention that, a three time paralympic gold medalist, talking about building resilience through sports and Zaria Johnson of Ideastream Public Media new reporter and producer, newly minted reporter and producer there, is moderating our conversation and Zaria is doing a great job, I think.

(Dan and audience applaud) We are going to move into the Q and A right now, and we welcome questions from everyone, City Club members, guests, students, those of you joining us via our livestream.

Everybody's welcome.

You can text a question to 330-541-5794.

The number, again, is 330-541-5794.

You can also find it on the QR code on your table.

And if you'd like to tweet a question, you can tweet it @thecityclub and we'll work it into the program.

Are we ready for our first question?

Thank you.

- I had a coworker once who was a paraplegic and she said to me, I could file an ADA complaint, regarding lack of accessibility every day.

What problems have you had with accessibility and how can we do better as a society on that regard?

Thank you.

- Yeah, thank you for that question.

Honestly, as far as physical access to buildings go, everyone on the East Coast is, kind of, way worse than the West coast, no offense.

But the buildings are older, everything, the infrastructure is older and oftentimes, buildings have maybe put forth some effort to retrofit, but maybe it's not the best solution.

And more often than not, I'm grateful for the effort put forth, but honestly, if buildings were built universally designed for folks to access without any accommodations needed.

I love when I roll into a building and it's just like, it's not obvious that it's accessible, it's just, there's a straight entrance, you know, it's just got this real flow about it, nothing's too hard.

But, you know, I also have a great privilege, as a paraplegic, that I have the use of my hands and I can use my arms and I can transfer myself when I need to.

And power chairs are a lot bigger than this.

And you know, so there's accommodations and accessibility is different for everybody that is experiencing a space, but really the answer would be just, kind of to think about things more universally, in terms of design.

But yeah, I, again, I'm really kind of privileged, to experience it from my perspective.

Yeah.

- [Audience Member] Yes.

I have a question for you, miss, what is your advice for the next girl in a wheelchair, who watches you compete?

What would you say to her?

- I hope that's you.

(audience laughs) Are you going for it?

- [Audience Member] I don't know yet.

- Go for it.

You know, my advice is very opposite of Nike.

I don't say just do it, I say, just try.

Because for me, when I first broke my back, I was really hesitant to do anything right.

And almost every pivotal moment in my life, it was basically defined by the risk I was willing to take.

And if it was even a small risk, of just like, I'm gonna go back to wheelchair basketball practice, I don't know, I feel kind of uncomfortable.

You know, just try, just go, show up, see how it feels, you know?

And if the first sport that you try isn't your thing, try another one and go, you know, just try.

That's my uninspiring piece of advice.

(Alana and audience laugh) But I would also say, like, one of the things I'm finally learning, I guess, now that I'm pushing 40 is, being aware of what's going on in your head and your heart, as it's happening.

So often we have these hesitations, you know, that hold us back from things.

And if you just kind of sit back in your mind and say, I see you being hesitant about this, what's that about?

Oh, you feel like people are gonna judge you, huh, okay.

You know, and you can, like, thoughtfully not participate in the feeling that's gonna keep you from going forward.

And so, I would just get curious a little bit, if you have any hesitations.

But also, then just surround yourself, with some people that are gonna lift you up and that are gonna get stoked and support you and be excited for you.

Thank you for that question.

- Okay.

We have a text question.

So, for many professional women athletes, the pay inequity just isn't there, compared to their male counterparts.

Women need to take on other jobs to make ends meet.

Do you see these challenges echoed with Paralympic athletes?

- Thank you for that question.

Yes.

I would say, as far as equality is concerned, the woman with a disability might be last on the list.

And oftentimes, disability is left out of the entire conversation.

Just in 2018, we were granted equity for prize money, at the Paralympics, two Olympics.

So, in 2010, when I won two gold, a silver and a bronze, I got paid significantly less than the Olympians at that time.

And you could imagine that if I had been granted equal pay, that would've changed my life.

I would've been able to buy a house, you know?

That would've been the opportunity.

And people with disabilities don't have nearly as many opportunities, right?

So, when it comes to adaptive sports, we have to have these specialized pieces of equipment that, you know, this wheelchair is at least $2,500.

My basketball chair is 5,000, my mono ski is another five.

All the skis that go with that are expensive, you know, surfboards, whatever it is.

And so, we're kind of, there's a lot of barriers to entry with sport, as far as equipment's concerned.

I think the question was, do we experience inequalities.

And the answer is yes, to kind of an extreme degree, but you know, the Women's Sports Foundation and other organizations are, kind of, stepping into that space to create more opportunities for people with disabilities.

And one of the other things that would certainly help is just the amount of coverage that we get, in mainstream media.

The Paralympics, I don't know if any of you watched the Beijing games recently, you probably saw the Paralympics there.

And Tokyo was a big games for the Paralympics as well because of the partnership that NBC and Toyota established.

So, you know, these big organizations, like Toyota, and I am all, full disclosure, I work with Toyota, but outside of that, Toyota has partnered, in a way that no other huge company has, to develop and grow the Paralympics and thankfully became the first ever partner to support every Paralympian in the country.

So, they gave money to every Paralympian hopeful and Paralympian to achieve their dreams.

So, you know, it's happening, it's exciting, but we have a long way to go.

Thank you.

- What can we, as everyday citizens, do to promote awareness of adaptive sports, or get involved in adaptive sports?

And then, also, what do you think surfing's chances of getting in LA 2028 are?

- Ooh, great question.

I didn't mention that, when Zaria asked me what I'm up to, but heavily advocating for surfing to get into '28.

And we just had our world championship event in Pismo and we have a good shot at it, we're hoping.

And to raise awareness, you know, honestly, City Club having me here today, is a big step in that direction.

And the Sports Commission, just recognizing and kind of creating a seat at the table, right?

That should be included and everything, at whatever business you work in, I think it's really important for you to create a seat at the table for employees with disabilities, athletes with disabilities and create, you know, the DEI kind of space, for that conversation to happen.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cleveland has a wheelchair basketball club and if not, it should, they should, you know, get that going.

But all the other sports, you know, would be big.

I could say something about, like, legislation and how to affect the change at kind of a higher level, but I'm not really sure how that would go.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

- Okay.

So, I know in one of your previous questions, you talked about the barriers to entry, for like Paralympic athletes.

So, I just wanted to know, like, what can, like, we as a society or we as people do to help, like, lower those barriers of entry and make it so more young kids and people can experience paralympic athletes, just like the rest of us.

- Cool.

Thank you for that.

I mean, the population of people with disabilities is huge.

Chances are you probably know somebody, there's probably somebody at your school with a disability.

Being an ally and an advocate, is something anybody in this room can do.

And that means getting on that person's level and saying, what's up, how's it going?

What do you love?

Tell me more about you.

How can I help you achieve your dreams?

You know?

And if there is somebody with a disability at your school and they don't have access to a sport, I mean, go on that path with them, walk down that road and see what they need to do.

There's grants, there's all kinds of opportunities and maybe that person doesn't know exactly how to start, like, little miss just try over there.

She's gonna just try.

You know?

And like it's, I think that was really important for me.

I had friends and family that believed in me, when I didn't believe in myself.

And you could be that person for somebody.

- So, we have a text question next.

I often hear able bodied people use the phrase, overcoming a disability.

Would you mind speaking a little bit as to why this narrative may be harmful?

- Yes, thank you for that.

So, I've been particularly perturbed, as I'm scrolling Instagram and I see another, I won't mention who posts it, but it's a big, you know, handle.

Another story of a person that was paralyzed, but never gave up and they tried real hard and they ended up walking and they're walking down the aisle at their wedding, or something, right?

It's tear jerking, it's emotional, it's an amazing story.

Nothing to take away from that, I love that.

But the same handle on Instagram, should also be sharing the story of the person that became paralyzed, didn't end up walking again, went on to play wheelchair basketball, Alpine's game, whatever that is, and created a life that didn't involve changing anything about maybe, how they were born, or what had happened to them.

For somebody to suggest that I overcame my disability, is denying part of my reality.

I'm disabled, I'm in a wheelchair, like, my eyes are green and my hair is brown.

Like, this is a part of me.

And I'm in a place now, where I don't want to be anything different.

This is who I am and it's what I embrace about myself and I love it.

I'm a disabled woman, is how I navigate the world.

There are folks with disabilities, that maybe just acquired it that they certainly don't- They wanna be the inspirational story where they walk again.

And I did too.

When I broke my back, I wanted to overcome it.

I'm 22 years in and now I love who I am and what I'm doing with my life.

But really, to constantly be focusing on somebody overcoming it, is really denying their reality, you know?

And so, yeah.

- And how should we, as able bodied people, be kind of thinking about, I guess, the right way to think about disabled people, or people with disabilities and reversing that narrative of overcoming it in our heads?

- Right.

Well, I think it's just that.

It's like, maybe it doesn't want- Maybe they don't want it to be any different.

Maybe they're proud of who they are and as able-bodied folks, like, just embracing so much diversity, it's like, this is just who I am.

And it's, I think if you have the lens of looking at everybody with non-judgment and you know, you can see the world through, you know, these glasses of just beauty, right?

Everybody's so beautiful and we wouldn't have such a colorful world, without some all of the diversity and the difference.

Yeah.

Yeah, and I think it's just interesting for folks to be like, I don't- You know, okay, so, I will say, I understand that for able-bodied folks, people with disabilities are so different, that it might make them uncomfortable, right?

It's uncomfortable to be around something different and that you don't know about.

So, I have a friend with severe cerebral palsy, that has a speech impediment, that she will struggle to say one word for over a minute.

And I know what it feels like to sit there and not wanna finish her sentence for her.

I know what that feels like, to not not be sure exactly how to handle a situation.

And that's where you come in and you get curious about why, maybe, why you're inspired by the person that is in a wheelchair at CVS.

You're like, why am I inspired by that?

They're just, kind of, doing their thing, right?

You know, like what you know, and getting curious about, maybe, why it made you uncomfortable or whatever that is, or why you jumped out of the way.

I always wish so bad- This'll just be public service announcement.

If you are a parent and you do have kids and you come across a person with a disability, please do not rip your kid out of the way and create like a traumatic experience for your kid, to associate with a person with a disability.

If they stare, let them stare.

If they wanna ask, let them ask.

They're just little kids and we know that.

I'm not speaking on behalf of everybody with a disability, but we know that and they can come and touch it, they- Whatever it is, like, just let them be kids.

And the hardest part is to watch a parent create that scary moment.

Like, oh, I don't wanna be around that.

'Cause it's heartbreaking.

I feel like a monster, you know?

I'm like, I'm just, I'm really nice.

I have a three year old, you know?

So, hopefully that answered the question.

- What did you do to avoid frustration, from recovering from your injury?

And how did you keep confidence, while, like, pursuing and playing in your sports?

- Thank you for the question.

Avoid frustration, I think.

Honestly, there wasn't anything magical that I did after my injury.

I cried a lot, I cried a lot, I felt confused.

I went back to high school and cried.

You know, like, I wasn't this inspirational, like, never wavered kind of person.

I was broken and I felt it and I grieved it and I got better.

And whatever life throws at me now, I know that's exactly the process I'll go through too.

I'm gonna cry about it, I'm gonna share, I'm gonna talk to people about it and then, eventually, one day the sun's gonna be shining and I'm gonna move forward.

And I think that's really, one piece of advice I'd give to my younger self, would be to embrace and accept responsibility for my own life.

Because for a while there, I was a victim of my life.

I was, why me?

Why can't I, why?

You know, why does this have to be so hard?

Whether it was, like, putting my shoes on, to, like, getting in a car, like, everything's so hard, why, why, why?

And then, it clicked and it was, it just took time.

It wasn't like a huge epiphany of any kind.

I just realized, okay, you can either be happy or you could be sad.

And I chose to be happy.

I'm like, whatever life throws at me, I'm just gonna be happy.

And if it's hard, if it's painful, physically painful, whatever it is, I'm gonna cry and go through all the motions.

But I'm also not gonna feel like, everything, like, the world is against me because something bad once happened to me.

You know what I mean?

And I'm not really about that narrative anymore.

Like, this isn't a traumatic event anymore, it's something that happened and this is who I am now.

And I don't know, did I answer your question?

What was the second part?

- [Audience Member 2] Confidence.

- Yeah.

Thanks for laughing with me.

I'm like, did I answer that?

- So, like, in the sports that you played, how did you like stay confident?

Like how did you leep confidence and not lose it from like- - Yeah.

I don't know.

- I like that, I like that.

Well, I think confidence is like any other emotion that comes and goes, right?

But one thing that gave me confidence, like, you have to have confidence when you're sitting at the top of a mountain and you're about to go 70 miles per hour.

And that confidence came from all the preparation that I did and all the corners I didn't cut.

And all of the times I showed up for myself, in the gym and on the mountain.

And so, like, when it comes time to perform, you have to have all those other things in place, so that you do have that inherent, like, inside of you, confidence.

And then the magic happens, you know?

But it's all in the preparation.

It's all in the hard work.

And you know, like, just, like, strength is only kind of built in the fire.

It's like confidence, you have to prove to yourself.

People will tell you you're strong, until they're blue in the face.

Until you go through it and welcome those harder days.

Say, okay, this is gonna be- I was gonna say, this is gonna suck.

I'm okay, what am I gonna do about it?

You know, whether it's a workout or a hard day or whatever.

What am I made of and what am I gonna- How am I gonna show up for myself in the gym today, so that when it comes time to perform, I'm ready and I believe in myself.

You know, you prove to yourself, it's not about anybody else watching.

It's about who, you know, who you are, on the day of competition.

And that's really what built the confidence.

But it's also those, just setting those smaller goals, and achieving them, you're like, okay, it builds momentum.

One good decision leads to the next and then you're just like, have some good vibes going.

You know?

- My name's Eliza Wills, I go to Wycliffe High School.

You kind of just answered my question a little bit, but just like every other athlete, I'm sure you experience burnout and lose your passion and will for your sports that you play and are so successful at.

How would you say that you navigate gaining that passion back and wanting to succeed and continue playing and going?

'Cause I'm sure it gets hard, just like everybody else and in most things in life.

- Yes.

That's a great question.

And it applies to every aspect outside of sports.

It's just like a, like a pendulum, you know?

If you're extremely training seven days a week and three hours in the morning and two hours at night, or whatever, you're gonna get extremely burnt out.

And if you can find a middle ground right in there, where you're giving as much as you can and maybe a little bit more, and then you're resting as much as you can and maybe even a little bit more, then you're gonna stay in that real sweet spot, that balanced place, where you don't feel like you wanna quit.

But there's certainly times where I've been, like, all the way here and all the way there and, you know, it's a process and a journey, to find that little balance in the middle, where you feel like you're gaining, but you're not wanting to quit altogether.

There was a point in high school, when I was playing three sports and I just had to stop playing volleyball.

I was like, this isn't working, you know?

And putting yourself in- I think that was an act of love for myself, right?

I didn't love it.

And if I wanted to keep playing any sport, I needed to quit doing one, so I could stay in love with it.

So, finding balance, I mean, if anybody has the answer to that.

(audience laughs) That's a million dollar question.

- Good afternoon, I'm Brian and I work for Adaptive Sports Ohio and coaching program adaptive sports.

- Let's go.

Yeah.

- So moving forward, what are some trends, or what do you think the future is for adaptive sports or the Paralympics?

- Ooh, great question.

Well, hopefully in 2028, the United States will do such a great job hosting and displaying the Paralympics that- I hope that LA 2028 is, like, a huge turning point in the United States.

Because the thing is, adaptive sports is really a totally different thing, in the rest of the world.

You could go to New Zealand or Australia, or anywhere in Europe and click the TV on, and you could see Paralympic sport being played, or whatever competition's happening.

In the United States, we are heavily focused on NFL, NHL, MLB, you know, all those things.

And there's not a lot of room, that's the same kind of storyline for women's sports, right?

We just need to be a little more open-minded, I guess.

But I'm hoping that LA 2028 is a real turning point.

I know that when London held the games in 2012, Paralympians were household names, they're on billboards, you know, it changed their lives.

They were having all the same endorsements and making as much money as the Olympians, you know?

And so, hopefully hosting in '28, will really create awareness here.

And then, I mean, I would love to see some Paralympic Olympics, paralympic adaptive sports, on all the mainstream media stuff, like ESPN, like, let's see, some college wheelchair basketball.

There's collegiate division, like, let's see it being played and have folks that are commentating be critical about the performances.

And it's not all about the inspiration, or the accident, or whatever it is, you know?

So, I'm hoping, I hope for that.

Yeah, thank you.

- Is it hard to pursue a dream career for you?

How do you make it easier for yourself?

- Okay.

Is it hard to pursue my dream career?

Okay.

And what was the second part?

And how to make it easier for yourself?

Is it hard to pursue your dream career?

Honestly, I think dreams are incredible to have, but you have to have goals in place, right?

But also, being open and without expectation for how things are gonna go.

So, when I was 17 and I had this dream of going off to college, playing fast pitch softball, you know, going to all the parties and having a good time, like, all of those dreams were crushed because I had expectations of how things were gonna go.

That was my first lesson in being open, right?

Oh, you're gonna break your back.

Oh, interesting.

Now what, you know, let's look at everything not as- I'm not trying to be a Buddha up here, but like, it's different when you think, okay, this is interesting, this isn't bad or good.

This is an interesting pivot in my life.

So, when you're pursuing your dream career, I think it's important to have a vision for yourself and goals that lead you in that direction.

But also, equally as important, is being open to whatever life is gonna give you.

Like, maybe it's not that direction that you're dreaming of, maybe it's this one.

And if you're in tune with your heart, you're kind of like, okay, let me see what the world's throwing at me.

You know what I mean?

So, I think it can be hard to pursue your dream career, but it can also be really easy, if you're open.

(audience applauds) - Thank you, Alana and Zaria.

And I think if ESPN has room for, like, ax throwing and poker, right?

There's probably room for wheelchair basketball and cornhole, right?

Cornhole.

Yes.

- [Audience Member 3] And tag.

- And tag is there.

Yeah, there's tag too, right?

And dodge ball.

Thank you.

As we all know, ESPN, The Ocho.

Well, thank you Alana and Zaria, and thank you so much to our partners at Velocity and KeyBank for your support of this program today.

We'd also like to welcome guests at tables, hosted by Brookside High School, Fairview High School, KeyBank, MC Squared Stem High School, Shaker Heights High School, Velocity, and Wycliffe High.

Thank you all for being with us today.

Our final forum this year will be on Friday.

We'll be joined by Kyle Dreyfuss Wells, president and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

That's part of our local hero series and part of our coverage also of climate change and the impact on our world.

We'll be back after the holidays on Friday, January 6th, with Kristen Morzocca.

She is the president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

Tickets are available at cityclub.org.

That brings us to the end of our forum today.

Thank you once again, Alana Nichols, Zaria Johnson, members and friends of the City Club, thank you for being a part of this today.

Our forum is Adjourned.

(audience applauds) - [Narrator] For information on speakers, or for Podcasts of the City Club, go to city club.org.

(soft instrumental music) Production and distribution of City Club forums on Ideastream Public Media are made possible by PNC and the United Black Fond of Greater Cleveland Incorporated.