Big Think

I was paralyzed at 17. I won gold seven years later. | Alana Nichols


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What happens when everything you’ve built your identity around seems to disappear in a single moment? Paralympian Alana Nichols explains.

At 17, Alana Nichols was paralyzed in a snowboarding accident, but the athlete in her refused to disappear. After discovering adaptive sports, she found not just new ways to move, but a new understanding of strength, identity, and worth. Her journey to Paralympic gold became a powerful act of redefining strength, capability, and success.
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About Alana Nichols:
Alana Nichols is a five-time Paralympian and the first American woman to win gold medals in both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. After a snowboarding accident at age 17 left her paralyzed, she went on to compete in wheelchair basketball, alpine skiing, and paracanoe. Nichols has earned six Paralympic medals—three gold, two silver, and one bronze—and continues to advocate for adaptive sports and increased access for athletes with disabilities.

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