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Erica Smith

@erricasmith

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Real good time riding bikes with a real good crew for a real good cause this weekend. Views weren’t too bad either. by @erricasmith

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14 days ago

I’m an introvert, but I’ve always craved connection and a sense of community. For a long time, I didn’t really know where to find it. Through biking I finally did. A community built around getting outside, doing hard things, and having people who just get it.

This summer, I’ve gotten to ride with the @nationalabilitycenter Para Off-Road Cycling Team, and this weekend at @rebeccasprivateidaho really drove home just how much my world has grown. I carpooled with someone I originally met on the White Rim, ran into another person we did that trip with in line for the bathroom, sat next to someone I rode up Brown’s Canyon with at Summit Challenge a few weeks ago at dinner, saw folks from Wydaho last weekend and the list goes on. A few years ago, I never would have imagined showing up to an event like this and running into so many familiar faces.

The race itself was no joke. The first climb was about 1,200 feet over 3 miles, followed by a pretty brutal washboarded section of road. My body was hurting and I was mentally struggling. There were moments where I was questioning why I was out there and how I would make it the rest of the way.

But I kept going. And eventually, the views started making it a little easier to forget how much everything hurt. I pulled into an aid station and folks from the @higherground_usa team were there with words of encouragement and a fresh battery for my bike. There’s something pretty special about pushing through a hard moment and then looking around and realizing just how lucky you are to be out there in the first place. I know there are so many people who never get the opportunities I’ve been given, and I don’t take that for granted.

Really grateful for the miles, the challenges, the views, and especially the people I’ve met along the way. Idaho stole a bit of my heart this weekend and I can’t wait to make it back out there. taken in Sun Valley, Idaho by @erricasmith

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a month ago

Fun few weeks of riding. by @erricasmith

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a month ago

A real full circle moment for me getting to bike with these ladies again last weekend.

In 2022 we all met at @adaptive_sports_center in Crested Butte. I went into that Ladies Session knowing 2 other people with disabilities IRL and having biked less than a handful of times. I had no idea how big of an impact these ladies, biking and the adaptive community as a whole would have on my life.

It was truly special getting to lead them on a ride around Round Valley. 🤍💙 by @erricasmith

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2 months ago

Finally to that point in mountain biking where I almost look like I’m having fun sometimes. by @erricasmith

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2 months ago

08.05.08 It’s that day of the year where I remind y’all that I could have died but I didn’t.

I don’t remember the car accident, the helicopter ride, or the first few days in the hospital. I don’t remember anyone telling me I’d never walk again (although my mom does, sorry mom).

What I do remember is seeing myself in a wheelchair for the first time. I remember crying as I could barely balance to sit on the edge of the bed, my physical therapist holding up a full length mirror where I saw myself in back and neck braces. I remember feeling embarrassed by how much help I needed, and questioning what a future as a wheelchair user would look like.

I also remember the people who showed up. The visits, the fundraisers, the encouragement, and all the little ways people made an impossible time feel a little better.

A spinal cord injury touches every part of your life. It has challenged me, humbled me, introduced me to incredible people (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, only cool kids are disabled), and ultimately led me to a life and a career I never could have imagined.

So today, I’m just thankful. Thankful to be alive. Thankful for my independence. And thankful for every person who’s carried me up stairs, changed plans without making me feel like a burden, or simply treated me like everyone else.

I wouldn’t have chosen this path, but it’s made me who I am. by @erricasmith

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2 months ago

✨LADIES RETURN TO DIRT CAMP 2026✨

What a week, what a crew. Coming up on the 18 year anniversary of my accident this week but I’ve still got a lot of anxiety around motor vehicles. @returntodirt is my safe space to get out of my head and into some shenanigans. What a special thing to get to share with this group of ladies.

So thankful for the whole @returntodirt and @hi5sfoundation teams for fostering this community and making the magic happen. by @erricasmith

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2 months ago

It’s Disability Pride Month and I’m thinking about the phrase “Disability rights are human rights.” To me, that means disabled people deserve more than the bare minimum. We deserve to be seen, included, and valued. We deserve the freedom to participate fully in our communities, our workplaces, and the outdoors.

When I was first injured, I didn’t know what I was missing out on. Not because opportunities didn’t exist, but because I never saw anyone like me doing them.

I didn’t see disabled people mountain biking, camping, traveling, or building adventurous lives. I barely saw disabled people at all.

More than a decade later, I found adaptive recreation and a community of disabled people who were living full, joyful, adventurous lives. Seeing them changed how I saw myself. It expanded what I believed was possible for my own life.

It’s hard to imagine yourself somewhere you’ve never seen someone like you before. Representation doesn’t just inspire, it expands what’s possible.

I’m grateful to be part of making disability more visible than it was when I was 17 and newly injured. Because somewhere, someone might be seeing a version of their future they didn’t know was possible. by @erricasmith

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3 months ago

Thankful for all the little things that went right in my life to get me here. by @erricasmith

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4 months ago

Erica Smith - adventurer, creative, lover of life, midwest grown/Rocky Mountains polished, cyclist, adaptive athlete and friend shot on film at the @nationalabilitycenter Mountain Center, Park City, Utah @erricasmith

#sci #highfivesathlete #blackandwhltephotography #portraitphotography #filmphotography taken in National Ability Center-Ski Center by @erricasmith

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4 months ago

At the end of March we got another reminder of just how quickly everything can change.

It was a Friday afternoon and my mom texted me “in the ER.” Symptoms that were originally thought to be a stroke led to the discovery of two brain tumors and multiple nodules in her lungs. A 6 hour brain surgery and additional lung biopsy gave us an official diagnosis of Stage 4 Melanoma.

She has shown unwavering strength and bravery through it all and I am so proud of her. by @erricasmith

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5 months ago

A quick trip down south to celebrate 35 trips around the sun and mom’s first time to Utah. by @erricasmith

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7 months ago