10 Year Anniversary Success Story: Alissa P.
Apr 23, 2021
Keeping our celebration of 10 years going, we’d like to introduce Alissa P.’s story of how she pushed herself out of the comfort zone.
In March of 2016, a motor vehicle accident left Alissa with a spinal cord injury between T12 and L1. Following the accident, Alissa struggled with fear. She was afraid of the limitations caused by the injury and afraid she would never be independent again. These fears led to her isolating herself and becoming increasingly dependent on her parents. Deep down, Alissa knew she needed a change and together with her family sought out CORE to address the physical limitations of life with a spinal cord injury.
Once at CORE, Alissa focused on her recovery and worked hard to become stronger. She also began to look for role models within the spinal cord injury community and was inspired by other women with similar injuries who were accomplishing great things in spite of the challenges involved. With the encouragement of her training team, Alissa began setting goals for herself that extended beyond the gym.
“It has been five years since I became a paraplegic and I can confidently say I am in a much better place now. I have worked hard to become independent with driving on my own and taking solo trips! I have also maintained a 4.0 GPA through all of college and will be graduating with my Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences this Spring,” said Alissa.
For Alissa, CORE was a safe place to lay down her fears and fight for what she truly wanted for her life.
“During the early stages of my injury, I was very timid about trying new things and scared of getting even more hurt,” said Alissa. “However, I’ve realized once you get out of that mindset so many doors open up for you. It is important to not stay in your comfort zone, even if it is easier that way. It is challenging, but once you start it is also so freeing.”
