Change in Motion
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Alana Nichols: 3x Paralympic Gold Medalist on the Accident that Left Her Paralysed and the Healing Power of Sports
1 hour 12 minutes Posted Oct 16, 2023 at 8:00 pm.
Introducing Alana
The meaning sports had while growing up
The accident that broke her spine at 17
Her friends' reactions during her recovery
Calling a spade a spade: the question she needed to hear
Changing her life through sports
The first time she saw wheelchair basketball being played
Biggest challenge while adjusting to her new reality
How her self-image as a young adult was impacted by her disability
Her "closed off" energy towards strangers and how she dealt with those who were selfishly motivated.
Why she went from wheelchair basketball to alpine skiing at the Paralympics
What success means to Alana
When grief came over her right before the race
The long road to Sochi 2014: one-armed wheelchairing
The reason she decided to stop racing
Important ways to help people with disabilities
What positive change Alana wants to make in her life
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Show notes

Alana's life was forever changed following an accident that left her paralysed when she was just 17. Fast-forward to her 20s and Alana was a three-sport phenomenon having won gold for wheelchair basketball with Team USA and alpine skiing at the Paralympics. She talks to us about what her journey to Paralympic success has been like as she struggled with her mental health, grief and further injuries. 

 Alana tells us how she managed to find acceptance and peace with her new body and credits sports as giving her the power to turn her life around.

You can follow Alana on Instagram (@alanathejane) and Twitter (@alananichols21). To book Alana for speaking engagements, visit her website: www.alanajanenichols.com

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