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Susan Winston

@susarmstrong

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Highlight reel, mostly outside having fun. T12 spinal cord injury mountain biking August 9 2020

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It been 6 years today, my injury anniversary, my alive day and it’s felt like a weird time warp with everything that’s gone on. 6 years ago in the hospital I never thought this new life could still bring me to wild and beautiful places with my friends and I’m so grateful for them to be there for it all.
I love kayaking and have awesome different crews and went yesterday and today. I didn’t get any shots of kayaking we were having so much fun. But I did at least grab a glimpse of each river . Slide 1 is from yesterday on the lower Nolichucky Slide 2 is from today on Section 3 of the Watauga. On slide 3 I figured I would include some footage of roll practice (which is a part of kayaking I’ve put a lot into and is still a work in progress) and you can see the adaptive device I developed and built, it makes rolling with a weak hip snap just slightly easier, but makes your roll still need to have good form and does not affect paddle dexterity or anything.
I’ve been up to so much, kayaking is what I was up to this weekend plus wanted to share the roll; also adding slide 4 a picture of me prior to my injury not knowing the life I was building would have to be rebuilt in so many ways. But I love those experiences from before my injury as they shaped me and my body still carries me through this life and I get to share moments with friends and family. #grateful #scirecovery #paralyzed #adaptanddestroy #highfivesathlete by @susarmstrong

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2 months ago

Last winter blast. Can’t wait for the next one to continue to enjoy, adventure, progress, and share experiences. #downhillskiing #goodfriends #skitimedreamtime #highfivesathlete #kellybrushfoundation by @susarmstrong

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7 months ago

Access, support, feeling like I belong in spaces. The ability to move, to slide, to experience the mountains. Enjoying it all with other adaptive athletes in a place with awesome access and surrounded by support. With ski camp sponsored by @hi5sfoundation creating opportunity, safe to say I had a blast at ski camp last week. Thanks to High Fives for everything! #accessmatters #adaptiveathlete #highfivesathlete #diversity #inclusion

Photos by @ryanbodine_ except the first one my instructor took taken in Steamboat Springs, Colorado by @susarmstrong

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9 months ago

Yesterday was New Bike Day! So excited to finally get this bike. It took some time to get all my grants together, then came the production time on the bike, then of course it came in right before I had some injuries. So this bike has been a long time in the works. I’m so grateful for everyone and the organizations that have helped make this a reality. It’s been five years since I’ve had a bike. I’m so excited for this opportunity to regain some freedom into places my wheelchair won’t go. Whether it’s going on biking trails or going for a “walk” in the park, this adaptive bike provides much needed freedom to go where my legs can no longer take me. Living with a disability is expensive plus an adaptive bike is far more expensive than a regular bike; this creates a barrier to the healing that nature and inclusion provide. So a huge thank you for those who understand and support that with grants I got from @high5sfoundation @kellybrushfdn @s.o.a.r.nonprofit and SCORE (spinal cord opportunities for rehabilitation endowment). Plus the support for my bike I’ve received from my local bike shop @hqbike helping put it all together for me, @ride_nwnc for their support for my grants, plus all the friends who have supported this effort. And of course @sport_on_handcycles for patiently working with me as I got all of the funding together and designing this great adaptive bike. #thankyou #grateful #fitness #healing #nature #mentalhealth #highfivesathlete #adaptanddestroy #perserverance #disability #adventure #spinalcordinjuryawareness by @susarmstrong

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a year ago

Today is my alive day, the day that I will always get out and live and make new memories, but is also an unforgettable reminder of my accident and what I lost. It’s been 5 years today since my life changed forever and I started living it differently. I had overcome a lot prior to this year. I expected this year to continue to heal and excel with my endeavors, but I had a ton of hard work in store for me. The year had lots of curve balls filled with lots of painful reminders, but I was able to move through adversity and continue improving. In those struggles there was also strength and beauty to be found and things and people to be grateful for. Still making great memories. Here are some great times from after my injury and a few from before -which feels like another life, but still one that shaped me, injured at 37 years old so most of my life. #hardwork #overcome #enjoylife #impossibleisnothing by @susarmstrong

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a year ago

This month is disability pride month and I can definitely say I’m proud of how I’ve faced a lot of challenges now that I’m disabled that I’ve faced especially this year. Right before Hurricane Helene I had finally sold my old house with all its burden on me and its access issues. It was under contract during the storm. My sale still went through but my other plans fell through. So I was left with accessibility needs in a housing crisis. I found a house that needed a lot of work, which is good because the remodel could all be accessible. This still costs a lot more than an able bodied person’s remodel, but at least so much needed to be torn out anyways helping the overall cost. So I finished with the accessible entrance, kitchen, bathroom, and flooring (plus some other things the house desperately needed). Super proud of myself for all my hard work self contracting, managing, designing, and doing all the work I could do myself. I’m also glad I could recognize when I needed some extra help at the end of the project after I broke my hip, had surgery, and was dealing with my dog’s cancer and death. Definitely grateful for the help I got. Now after over half a year of dealing with inaccessible conditions I’m proud to say I’ve got an accessible place to live that I worked very hard on. The housing combined with other hardship I faced was an ever present reminder of my needs now that I’m disabled and my needs as a human along with painful reminders of the past. Glad to still be persevering and grateful for the people who are there for me. #impossibleisnothing #accessibleremodel #diy #spinalcordinjury by @susarmstrong

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a year ago

Thank you @victoriasvictoryfoundation for the funding to help me with rehab for the next year. Insurance doesn’t allow enough rehab and before I broke my hip I had this scholarship lined up. I’ve had some back issues since I broke my hardware and had it removed. So I got the scholarship to work on many deficits related to that and my spinal cord injury in general with back and core strength issues remaining, as well as helping manage the spasticity and tone in my legs, and get more time on my feet using my legs. All of this helps me be more independent with my whole life. I am really grateful to have this scholarship now after breaking my hip, as all of those needs are now heightened. With this scholarship I am able to get the rehab I need to help my hip heal well, improve my back and core strength, manage my spasticity, and work on engaging my legs more. So thank you so much to @victoriasvictoryfoundation and the trainers and therapists at @apprhs #grateful #overcome #spinalcordinjuryrecovery #impossibleisnothing #recovery #strength #independance by @susarmstrong

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a year ago

Had to say goodbye to my best little girl today. She was the best trail and adventure dog for me for so long. Was a great traveling buddy. Saw me through lots of different trauma, was adaptable and we went on many adventures after my accident too. You were only 11 and we only got your cancer diagnosis only in late March, after about a month of diagnostics prior to that. So not long before I broke my hip. I’m so glad you hung in there while I spent two weeks away for my hip between the hospital and the rehab hospital with my dad taking great care of her. She started to go downhill quickly the last two days. I love you. RIP sweet girl. by @susarmstrong

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a year ago

Progress not perfection. Everything is always a work in progress. I just had the chance to ski in Vermont for ski camp and a fundraiser with @highfivesfoundation @vermontadaptive. I wish I had gotten pictures of the whole crew because they were an impressive one that I’m grateful to be a part of. But check out the photographer pics at alpinemedia.pixieset.com. In addition to all the connections and getting to ski with other monoskiers I also got to take lessons with great instructors to work on my weaknesses. Here’s some videos of @em.cioffi doing a great job following my lines so I can look at the video and see the difference in our body position to learn better technique. And another video of just me skiing and one of my lift load fail and recovery, I get them without a mistake probably 80% and my recovery is getting better of course the video showed one of the 20% haha. #skilikeagirl #adaptiveathlete #highfivesathlete #adaptanddestroy by @susarmstrong

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2 years ago

Happy Winter Solstice! The night the stars shine the longest as I like to think of it. ✨💫. The long nights and short days hold so much for us. I’ve been enjoying the season with some kayaking, starting the ski season, and getting out using my leg braces (just got some cool new ones this week) amongst plenty of craziness! So slide 1- yesterday River video taken while kayaking; slide 2- yesterday testing out my new braces after kayaking in terrain that is too tough to walk much in, but I always stand after kayaking by the river even when it’s often not walking terrain for me tho! slide 3- skiing at Beech during that cold snap 2 weeks ago, slides 4-5 Riley hanging at the river after kayaking other days the past two weeks. Stoked for the winter for more skiing as it gets colder, more kayaking on the days that temps are ok and working with these new leg braces as well as other crazy stuff upcoming! #adaptiveathlete #grateful #beauty #outside #spinalcordinjury #kellybrushfoundation #lifeisbetteractive #highfivesathlete #nevergiveup #impossibleisnothing #strengthfromweakness by @susarmstrong

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2 years ago

Alive and getting through it. I didn’t take many photos or videos of the devastation here except these few from Friday evening. I’ve seen a lot more including huge swathes of downed forest, landslides. and road collapse. The roads are collapsing more in many places now from the undermining. A curfew is in effect due to the roads. Many are still stuck. I just finally came home after spending 6 nights away waiting on roads to be clear among other things. I’m home and have my generator hooked into the house since there is no power (last video) it’s a lot to manage still especially from a wheelchair. But so lucky my house was fine, just downed trees around that are getting cleared. Many were not so lucky, not to mention that the forest and wildlife took some huge hits. Grateful for all the helpers #hurricanehelene taken in Boone N.C. by @susarmstrong

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2 years ago

I can’t believe it’s been 4 years since my spinal cord injury, 4 years since I went from able bodied to disabled in a second, so today is 🥴. There were so many different things I did and went through along the way that make it seem not that long ago. I have been learning to live again in different ways. After making some tough choices I have continued with adjustment. But I’ve filled my life with activity ever since my injury and shown up with love. Grief will always have a place, but you just learn to grow around it and create a life full of fun and love. So grateful for all the people in my corner. So happy Alive day to me! by @susarmstrong

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2 years ago