An inspiration: Leah Potts
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Injuries that prevent you from doing what you love can do funny things to you. First, they make you miserable. Not only are you in pain, but you can’t do what you love. You begin to feel inept and you feel like you’ve lost part of yourself, even if it’s only for a while. So, then, you go on a search. What you’re searching for you may not know, exactly. You just know that you’re looking for something that will help you find a little piece of the soul that seems to have vanished.
My search has led me to places where I have found inspiration. I’ve found several stories that have been sources of inspiration for me, and I will make it a point to cover these in my blog entries. But, for now, I would like to tell the inspirational story of Leah Potts.
In 1999, Leah Potts was living in Colorado after having moved there from the Midwest. On February 13 of that year an accident happened that changed her life forever. While skiing a warm-up run at Eldora, she crashed into a tree. The next thing she knew, she was waking up as a quadriplegic in the hospital. Doctors told her she would never walk again.
But, Leah overcame the odds. She worked hard on her recovery and now can walk with the assistance of a cane. A recent article in the Denver Post explained that Leah’s positive attitude and strong commitment to her physical therapy likely had something to do with her amazing recovery.
Today, Leah is 32 and lives in Aspen. Despite her injuries she is very active outdoors. She rides a recumbent bike and can even ski (with the poles that have skis on the bottom to help her). Topping all of that, Leah is a spin-cycling instructor.
Currently, Leah is seeking alternative treatments to help her regain more capabilities with her limbs. Stem cell treatments can help re-grow spinal tissue. However, these treatments are not being done in the United States. So, Leah must travel to India. Leah is leaving soon for her third stem cell treatment. However, these treatments are very costly, so Leah is asking for help. If you wish to contribute or find out more about Leah, check out her website at www.leahpotts.com.
I find Leah’s story to be a compelling example of how humans with the right mind-set can overcome so many odds and challenges that face them. May that be a reminder to all of us. Whether we are injured or not, we all have obstacles that have blocked our paths. Leah reminds us that we can overcome these obstacles- coming out stronger and better than we were before.
- Mount Buckskin (17 May 2020) - May 28, 2020
- Horseshoe Ski (14 May 2020) – The mountain whose journey nearly killed me - May 27, 2020
- Sayres X-Rated Ski (10 May 2020) - May 19, 2020
