by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Dorine Bourneton

The people of France have long been obsessed with aviation. From sponsoring the Wright Brothers to perfecting the hot air balloon, the French love to take to the air.

This is why it should come as no surprise that Dorine Bourneton, a paraplegic and French woman, made history as the first woman with paralysis to receive her acrobatic pilot’s license in the world.

But it wasn’t easy getting where she is today. From her injury that also occurred in the skies to receiving her professional pilot’s license post-injury, Dorine has one indomitable spirit. Read on for her amazing story

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Pieter du Preez

The first quadriplegic in the world to complete an Ironman triathlon, South African and Paralympian Pieter “Supa Piet” du Preez has been busy showing the world anything is still possible after a spinal cord injury, and boy does he make it look good.

Also fully independent despite a C6 injury, as well as an actuarial analyst by day with a company that also sponsors his training, this married man hasn’t let his injury stop him from reaching for his dreams. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Anna Turney

Not just another Paralympic athlete, Anna Turney is a lifelong athlete who’s more self-aware than most.  Injured nearly 10 years ago in a snowboarding competition, she transformed herself into a top mono-skier representing Great Britain in two Paralympics. And that’s not all.

This year she transformed herself again, leaving her Paralympic career behind and focusing on the next chapter of her life – journalism and motivational speaking -something she never dreamed she’d be doing before she was hurt. This is why Anna is a superstar and more. Read on for her awesome story

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Kevin Saunders

No it’s not Chuck Norris in a wheelchair, it’s Kevin Saunders; one of the greatest US wheelchair athletes of all time. The first person with a disability to serve on the President’s Council of Physical Fitness (under President George Bush), and reelected by President Clinton, Kevin Saunders has been like a phoenix since his spinal cord injury nearly 34 years ago.

And that’s not all. He went on to become a Paralympian in track and field, an all-star athlete in wheelchair racing and he even worked with Oliver Stone as a consultant on his famous film, Born on the 4th of July.

Now one of the most well-known speakers in the world, read on for Kevin Saunders’ unforgettable story. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Angela Madsen

A former Marine with one impressive athletic resume, Angela Madsen is a Paralympic rower who’s now passing on what she loves to others. Also in the Guinness World Records six times for her rowing prowess and a record holder in her other favorite adapted sport – shot-put – she’s a natural fighter.

Uncannily, rowing and shot-put weren’t sports she played pre-injury (basketball was her favorite sport), but these sports transformed her life post-injury, helping her move on and see that a fulfilled life was still possible. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Rob Parsons

For race car drifters, drifting is a way of life, so when Rob Parsons was injured nearly six years ago, a gear-head through who fell in love with drifting with his dad, he couldn’t give up his number one life passion. Instead of saying goodbye to what he loved, he said hello to a whole new way of doing it.

But it wasn’t a gift from some sympathetic donor or sponsor that helped him return to doing what he loves. After looking at how expensive adapted cars would be, he decided to start building an adapted drifting car in his own garage, and it is nearly to completion. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Amy Van Dyken

Amy Van Dyken was a superstar long before she graced our SCI Superstar series. A former American competitive swimmer who won six Olympic gold medals throughout her Olympic career, she was the most decorated athlete at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

But last year, years after retiring from competitive swimming, Amy became a paraplegic in a freak accident with her whole life changing an instant.

But she’s moved on from her injury better than most have expected, and she’s already reaching out to help others with spinal cord injuries. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Anne Wafula Strike

When you’re born, you never know what the future holds in store for you. For Anne Wafula Strike MBE, the first East Africa Paralympian who is now changing lives in Africa with her foundation, her disability may have the best thing that ever happened to her.

But at the time of her disability, there was no one from her little Kenyan village that would have agreed. Not yet anyway.

An athlete, mother, author and chair of a foundation in her name, this is the story of Anne Wafula Strike. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Robert Thompkins

There is a beautiful thing happening in San, Diego California right now and it’s not the beaches or the beautiful weather. It’s the good vibes Robert Thompkins is putting out, a paraplegic chairskater who’s sharing his passion for his emerging sport in an amazing way. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Monika Kuszyńska

A lead singer of a popular polish band in the early 2000′s who went on to forge her own successful solo career, Monika Kuszyńska is a woman with a spinal cord injury you may not know…but not for long.

The funny thing, she’s been living loudly in her native Poland but echoes of her awesomeness have yet to trickle to the States, which is why we’re excited to bring her story to our readers. Very rarely do you see a paralyzed woman rock out like she does and at her elite level.

A soulful artist poised to perform in one of the world’s biggest singing contests – Eurovision 2015 – this is the unforgettable Monika Kuszyńska. Read this entry