Just Dance
My name is Sara and I am 24. I was born with Spina Bifida/spinal cord injury. As I was developing one of my vertebrae grew jagged and severed my spine in the T12 zone. I have no movement or feeling from the waist down. However this hasn't stopped me from living and loving my life. With the encouragement and love from family, friends and my Heavenly Father, I know I can accomplish anything. I am currently in my last year at CSUF and studying Human Services. I want to help others know that they can live a full and happy life. I am currently on the Rollettes Dance Team and we are an all wheelchair dance team. I absolutely love it. Dancing helps me express myself in ways that I couldn't imagine. The connections I have made with each girl on the team is something special. They are not only my dance team, they are my sisters. They have helped me realize that it is never too late to find something you love and discover new ways to express yourself.
A whole new world
I not only like to dance, I love to spend time with my friends. We are all avid Disney-goers and bowlers. I have had the amazing opportunity to travel and experience things that some disabled people find impossible. I have skied, camped, jet skied, white water rafted, have gone four wheeling, played on a baseball team, learned to play tennis and took music lessons. I have my amazing parents to thank for all of these amazing opportunities. My family sees no disability and never has. They give me all of the same opportunities my siblings would get.
Fight for your place in this world
Growing up I always seemed to be the first person in a chair to do something. For example in school, from elementary through high school, I was the only person in a wheelchair to attend those schools. My mom and I were the first people to fight the battles that administration had not had to deal with before. I paved many roads for others in hopes that they would have an easier experience. There were many times that I had to fight to be somewhere or do something. I made it a goal to be heard and not pushed to the side. Just this past year, I was a manager for Target. When I took that position I was scared that guests or customers wouldn't take me seriously. I worked hard to make my place and earn respect from my employers and customers. I've taken what I have learned from that job and have applied it to my everyday life. I now know how to stand up for myself and not stand back in the shadows.
