MARCELA

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

MARCELA

“Conquer Any Summit”

When I was 20 years old, my life changed in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I had just moved to the United States, specifically Dallas, Texas, a year before from Peru to learn English as my second language. I was out with friends, our driver was drinking and we were involved in a very serious accident that would affect all of us.

It has been 18 years since the accident and I still live with the outcome every single day. I was paralyzed from the waist down & also had to get my left leg amputated from above the knee. As if my physical injuries weren’t enough to handle, my boyfriend was killed in this same accident. That was easily the hardest part of what happened.

Many look at me and immediately associate me with being disabled, but it was these injuries and the opportunity to be one of the pioneers for the #1 exoskeleton device approved in America and all over the world that has enabled me to do all the things I have done the past 18 years.

I was never a big traveler before my accident, but after I saw this as an opportunity to travel solo. Every trip I take during this time, I do it alone. I want to go to these countries by myself. I want to test each city's accessibility. I am not a professional in what constitutes “accessible”, but I know what has made my life easier. I go on these trips and meet with locals to learn more about what accessibility looks like to them. I use social media as a platform to share these stories, educate and bring awareness that not everyone has the ability to move as easily as I did before my accident. I want to show the world that even though you may be in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you can’t see the world. Yes, you will probably experience a lot of challenges, but there are many great places working very hard to make their sites accessible.

One of the biggest challenges and adventures I have been apart of was the opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It was never something I imagined doing, but it was a new opportunity and challenge to spread awareness about inclusivity and accessibility in the most beautiful and challenging parts of the world. The 8 days of that hike were very hard for me in terms of adapting. I had no independence, after training myself to be so independent for so many years. But its steep mountain, I was in the trekker 24/7 and 100% dependent on my porters. It wasn’t easy, but I had to make it happen. I learned so many lessons during that.

I realized that as people, we do need other people. We need our team and we need our support. Without my team that became my legs in a sense, I wouldn’t have made it. It humbled me. These porters that became my team, they are poor people that have one of the hardest jobs in the world and they are so happy. It humbles you to realize that being egotistical does nothing but hurt your experiences. Climbing that mountain, with those people, you start out thinking you’re the best of the best and it is so challenging you are humbled to know you are not.

Once we reached the top of the mountain, I realized that despite my abilities I am so blessed. It was so unbelievable and I realized in that moment that if I could conquer that summit, I could handle anything life throws at me.

Conquering that summit made us see a lot of things about life. All of us did that together, my victory was also their victory. In life, it is important to do things together. Rely on those who can make your experiences better or easier and can support you. For me, my 13 year old daughter Mikaela has made life better in so many ways.

Life can be challenging but all you can do is adapt and hope for the best. Be positive and don’t plan too much. You will set yourself up for disappointment with expectations. I think it is really important to share my story and my experiences. People with disabilities have become a bit of a very forgotten community. If my story has spoken to you all I ask is that you support my community as well. Be an advocate for my community on accessibility and inclusivity and remember to always approach life with positivity. You can conquer any summit life throws at you.