Jill Moore
They told me I was in a wheelchair because I was born with a hole in my spine. I think it's because they knew I wouldn't like going upstairs.
I grew up in NASCAR capitol, USA, Concord, North Carolina. Naturally, I picked up a strong passion for things of the area such as grits, and southern fried chicken biscuits but I never really bit into the whole "accent" thing.
When I was six or seven, I decided I was bored with parading around on my little pink crutches, and wanted to join my parents on the 150 mile bike ride to the beach they did annually. For some unbeknown reason, they let me. So there I sat, on the back of my dad's tandem bicycle, telling him yo-mamma jokes for the two day trip. Somewhere on those backroads, I fell in love with living. It was out of that trip that I stumbled into wheelchair athletics.
All my life I've been given boundaries established by the words "can" and "can't". Boundaries aren't established by words, because who says anyone has to follow those.
As of now, I attend the University of Illinois on a wheelchair racing scholarship. Through racing, I've been able to see, do, and experience more than most could ever dream of. My goal is to take this unique perspective I've been granted and target it towards a career in industrial design. Long term, I hope to work to revamp products available for people with various disabilities. Until then, it's continuing to race, mend flat tires, and take on life as it comes.