Madeline Young is originally from Oklahoma, United States. She decided to move to New Zealand after falling in love with the country on a short visit.

She started going to the University of Auckland and became an active member of the cheerleading club and the motorbike club. 

In 2017, two years after her move to NZ, she was hit by another vehicle while riding her motorbike. She broke 44 bones, was in a coma for 7 days, and had no more than 5-minute memory for 20 days. Through her determination and commitment to rehab, she recovered from the injury she received and is now happily working full-time as an ecologist following her love for nature. 

It was inspiring talking to Maddy about her mindset chasing her dreams even when not everything goes according to plan. When I asked to sum up her whole experience with one sentence she quoted the wise words of Hilary Duff “Why not take a crazy chance, why not take a crazy dance”.