Hiking all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail is a tremendous accomplishment for anyone, but it's an unbelievable feat for an individual who is paralyzed from the chest down. Yet Stacey Kozel, who left her wheelchair behind last March to tackle the rigorous trail, has done just that -- this month, she completed her solo seven-month long hike from Georgia to Maine! The 41-year-old from Medina, Ohio, who is able to walk thanks to a special pair of braces that act like a mechanical exoskeleton, says that the journey was grueling at times but she was determined not to quit, “I didn't start out doing this because I thought it was going to be easy,” says Kozel. "Climbing up the mountain, it's tough. But once you get to the top, there's always these great views that make it all worth it. I think the possibilities are endless, actually. That's what I always say."
If there's a will, there's a way...
And, sometimes, age really is just a number:
Adorable 97-year-old woman walks local shelter dogs every day to stay active
When Noelia Garella was a child, she was rejected from a preschool after its director told her parents "no monsters here" -- today, the 31-year-old Argentinian woman is the first person with Down syndrome to become a preschool teacher in her country! Although she had been working as an assistant in toddler classes for several years, Garella broke through a major barrier recently when she was promoted to co-teacher in charge of a class. Her promotion generated significant debate in the community as to whether a person with Down syndrome should be given such responsibility. Over the past few months, however, Garella has won over her detractors with her teaching skills and affection for the children in her class. “Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to be a teacher, because I like children so much,” she says. “I adore this.”
( Read more... ) ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
levkonoe at Chris Chapman